Lab Report: Potato Starch & Gelatin (Ali, Hamad, Hilina, Hassan)

 Lab report – Bio-materials

Name:  Ali Al Dhanhani, Hamad Bin Fahad, Hilina Bayew, Hassan AbuHaliga

e-mail: aha377@nyu.edu, hbf245@nyu.edu, hb1741@nyu.edu 

 

Material: Potato Starch

Introduction or Purpose:

This lab aims to create a cheaper, more available plastic alternative. We incorporated Potato starch and Gelatin respectively as the main ingredient of the new plastic. This experiment deals with everyday materials to maximize the accessibility of the newly created biodegradable plastic material, which could be used as an environmentally friendly plastic alternative. Before we began our experiment we had a few assumptions: the mixtures we would form (from Potato Starch and Gelatin) would have a similar consistency to Plastic; the mixtures we form will have a somewhat clear appearance. 

 

Ingredients and Amounts:

Materials: 

• 160 ml of Water
• 15 ml of Vinegar 
• 6 grams of Glycerol (6.78ml)
• 10 grams of potato starch (14.8ml)

Tools:

• Pot
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons 
• Stove
• Mold (25×19 CM)
• Timer

Methods:

• Measure 160 ml of water,  6 grams of Glycerol, 10 grams of potato starch
• Mix the measured water, glycerol, potato starch in a pot
• Stir the mixture on a high heat stove
• When the mixture starts to bubble, put 2 minutes on the timer
• Measure 15 ml of Vinegar
• After 2 minutes, remove the pot from the stove
• Add vinegar to the mixture, and mix properly
• Pour the mixture into the mold

 

Curing time and temperature:

• Mixing water, starch,  glycerol took 5 minutes
• Total time on the stove was 7 minutes
• Adding and mixing vinegar with the mixture took 2 minutes
• Temperature of stove was set to high (settings on stove read 5)

 

Results: (photography)

We left our mixture out to dry and this is what we got after about a week:

Physical aspect:

The mixture became rather thick, clear and jelly-like. This mixture (Potato Starch) began to solidify much quicker than the mixture we formed with Gelatin. 

 

Material: Gelatin

Ingredients and Amounts:

Materials:

• 180 ml of water

• 10.8 grams of Glycerol

• 36 grams of Gelatin

Tools:

• Pot

• Spatula

• Measuring spoons 

• Stove

• Mold (25×19 CM)

Methods:

• Measure 180 ml of water,  10.8  grams of Glycerol, 36 grams of Gelatin
• Add the mixture to a pot
• Mix the measured water, glycerol, and gelatin in the pot
• Stir the mixture on medium heat over a stove until the gelatin dissolves and the solution begins to slightly thicken 
• Once slightly thickened remove the pot from the heat (our mixture did not have any froth)
• Pour the mixture into the mold

Curing time and temperature:

• Stirring the mixture until gelatin dissolves and thickens took 10 minutes in total
• Mixture cool down was 3 minutes
• Temperature of stove was set to medium heat (settings on stove read 3)  

Results: (photography)

We left our mixture out to dry and this is the result after about a week:

Unlike our potato starch mixture, some molding can be observed in our gelatin mixture which accumulated over the 7 day period. Our potato starch mixture contained vinegar which helps to prevent molding. In the case of our gelatin mixture however, the absence of vinegar along with some contamination from one of the materials we used (pot, spoon or tray) must have caused the molding. 

Physical aspect:

This mixture was rather watery and had a mildly yellowish brownish oil like color. The consistency of this mixture was more watery compared to the Potato Starch mixture so we predict that it will take a longer time to solidify. 

Material observations according to external factors or changes over the time (combined):

During our mixing stage (on the stove) for both the Potato Starch and the Gelatin we began to smell an odor coming out. The odor that the Gelatin mixture produced however, was more foul than that produced by the Potato Starch mixture. 

The Potato Starch mixture took a shorter period of time to thicken and form a plastic-like consistency. The Gelatin mixture on the other hand remained quite watery for an elongated period of time. Due to time constraints, we had to exit the lab shortly after making the gelatin mixture. However, we predict that this mixture, with time, will become less liquid-like as it was heading to a more rigid state before we left. We expect both mixtures to form a plastic like material but predict that the Gelatin mixture will require more time to do so. 

Conclusions (combined):

The process of making these mixtures was rather informative and insightful. When we were making our first mixture with potato starch we began heating it on the stove before all the Potato Starch had dissolved which formed clumps in our mixture. This taught us that we should stir our mixture until we have a smooth consistency prior to heating it up on a stove. Overall, we were able to confirm the assumptions we had going into this lab: both mixtures formed a plastic-like consistency, although the Potato Starch mixture was more plastic-like; both mixtures were somewhat clear. Our group is extremely curious to revisit the lab and observe the results of our experiment further. We are currently wondering whether we will be able to mold and manipulate the mixtures we have formed as we please in order to produce new, useful materials. This experiment has given us great hope for the future of plastic. The processes we carried out in the lab were not complicated meaning regular individuals can produce these materials within the confines of their kitchens. This would allow them to reduce/remove their use of single-use plastics and replace them with these biodegradable alternatives without having to worry where they will end up or how they will decompose.