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Alternative Plastic Derived from Agar-Agar Seaweeds

(Gelidium amansii )

Joshua Aristorenas

Kyle DavidJob Ochoa

Miguel Roa

Gabriel Santiago

I-A

Mr. Mike Toledo

February 1, 2011



CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

What inspired our group to tackle our topic are: One, the global concern with the

excessive usage of fossil fuels which damages our environment; and two, the need to

discover alternative resource in producing plastic that is more environment friendly.

Every year tons of fossil fuels are burned. This process releases pollutants in the

air which cause acid rain, air pollution and greenhouse effect. We asked ourselves: “How

can we minimize the use of fossil fuels?” We read from our science textbooks that oil is

used for manufacturing plastics and further research revealed that it takes 430 000 gallons

of oil to produce 100 000 000 plastic bags. Despite our growing lack of oil for power, we

use this oil to produce plastic, which we waste every day. This is the kind of plastic that

is abundant in our landfills and clogs our canals and waterways and is non-biodegradable.

Because of its negative effects on the environment, alternative resources which

are called eco-friendly or bioplastics are being developed. We believe that seaweed could

be one alternative resource. Seaweed, which is locally known as agar-agar, is abundant

in our country particularly in the Southern Philippines. The specific chemical that we are

interested in is agar, which appears in red seaweed in abundance. Like all other plastics,

bioplastics are composed of three basic parts: one or more polymers (gives strength), one

or more plasticizers (bendable and mouldable qualities), one or more additives (color,

durability, etc.). Agar is a bypolymer which means that its glycerol lasts longer and



improves resistance to microwave radiation. Seaweed is already being used in many other

ways but, as a plastic base, it is still experimental. The study and experimentation of

using seaweed as an oil substitute for plastic manufacturing will not only help minimize

the use of oil, but also pave the way for a cleaner earth with less non-biodegradable

plastic.

B. Statement of the Problem

a. Statement of the Problem

The main problem in this study is to produce an environment-friendly plastic derived

from seaweed.

Specifically, it attempts to answer the following questions:

1. How can seaweed (agar-agar) be utilized in order to create an oil substitute to form

plastic?

2. How can this seaweed-made plastic be easily produced at home?

3. How will the community benefit from this seaweed-made plastic?

b. Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to accomplish the following objectives:

1. To create a seaweed-made plastic that may be produced at home.

2. To propose the seaweed-made plastic as an alternative to the non-biodegradable

plastic in order to help save our environment.

3. To create a study that may inspire future experiments related to the production of

biodegradable plastics.



C. Significance of the Study

Today, more than ever, people everywhere have become more aware and

involved in environment issues. Pollution of air, land and water resources caused by

burning tons of fossil fuels and the use of their finished products such as non-

biodegradable plastics is one of the major concerns. Because of this, studies and new

products have come up to replace such harmful plastics with so-called eco-friendly or

bioplastics.

This research is our way of supporting the cause for a healthier, greener earth.

The study hopes to inspire others to consider seaweeds as a potential alternative to the

petroleum-based plastics. If found to be true in the future, this study would help promote

another biodegradable plastic that will be a lot less harmful to the environment. Thus, it

can help boost the economy of the Philippines by making plastics from abundant natural

resources like seaweeds.

D. Scope and Limitation

The study will be conducted by a group of five researchers from September 2010

to February 2011. The focus is to produce plastic made from oil extracted from seaweeds.

To be able to do this, the group will research on other substances used in making

bioplastics such as cornstarch and see how the processes can be applied using seaweeds.

The testing of the results of our study is limited by the timeframe in which the plastic

produced remains intact. Also, to keep the plastic durable would involve a complicated



process which we can’t do and will not tackle in this study. Lastly, we can’t test if and

when the plastic derived from the seaweed (agar-agar) will biodegrade.



CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

Brief History of Plastics and their Effects on the Environment

The first plastic made by humans was created by Alexander Parkes in 1855 which

he called Parkesine. As time progressed, it was developed into the more durable and

useful materials we use today. However, it had detrimental effects to the environment

because its molecular bonds made it durable that not even the natural process of

degradation could work against it. The mass production of plastic also paved way for

chemical pollutants to damage the ozone layer. People tried to burn plastic but ended up

in releasing toxic fumes. Because of this, alternative ways to produce plastic were

developed like the recycling programs. Recycling of plastics became a very tedious job

and unprofitable thus use of biodegradable plastic came to be.

Unlike the plastics used before, biodegradable ones will be able to decompose in

natural environment. According to Wikipedia.com, “biodegradation of plastics can be

achieved by enabling microorganisms in the environment to metabolize the molecular

structure of plastic films to produce an inert humus-like material that is less harmful to

the environment.” The first biodegradable plastics were made from corn or “PLA” (Poly-

lactic acids). The plastics produced from corn didn’t really decompose naturally because

it had to be heated for six (6) months to be able to biodegrade. In addition to that, using

corn will even aggravate the food problem in the world because a lot of corn has to be

used.



After corn was not recommended, oxo-biodegradable plastics were produced.

This particular biodegradable plastic is more widely used in Europe than in the U.S. It

has more advantages than the use of PLA. It is less expensive, recyclable, resists water,

more durable, and the component used is a useless industrial byproduct. However, oxo-

biodegradable plastics when deeply buried in landfills will not be able to biodegrade

because they need to be exposed to environmental factors for the process to work.

Besides, if they happened to be recycled, they would have a short lifespan when exposed

to sunlight which would be a problem to plastic-made products.

Next came what we widely use today, the microbiodegradable plastic. It is very

advantageous because the additive used on it will make it biodegrade without the need of

heat, oxygen, etc. It has the same beneficial features as the oxo-biodegradable plastics.

Unlike the oxo-biodegradable plastics, these microbiodegradable plastics have better

shelf life because it needs the presence of soil microorganisms. This will greatly help

decrease the environmental problems with regards to plastics.

Seaweeds in Bioplastics

The various forms of biodegradable plastics are still under continuing research.

Other bioplastics which are degradable were also derived from other renewable resources

such as seaweeds.

"Seaweed" is a form of algae and in the context of bioplastics: red algae, also

known as "red seaweed." Agar is a gelatinous substance that is derived from the cell

walls of red seaweed. When you hear companies talk about developing bioplastic made

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaweed

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100427005122/en/Cereplast-Update-Breakthrough-Algae-Based-Plastics


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaweed



from seaweed, they really mean that they will be using the chemical agar, which is

extracted from the seaweed. Since 600 BC, red algae have been used in China for food

and medicinal purposes but scientific research in this field only started in the 1970s.

Presently, agar is used as a food additive in confectionaries, desserts, beverages, ice

cream and health foods. It's also used as a non-food additive in toothpaste, cosmetics,

and adhesives. Agar could be used as a biopolymer that gives strength to plastic. Agar,

either by itself or in blends with other biopolymers, appears to impart favorable

properties to plastic sheets. In plastics containing agar and glycerol (a plasticizer), the

effectiveness of the glycerol lasts longer, because the agar seems to slow down the

increase in brittleness. Agar also seems to improve resistance to microwave radiation, and

it improves clarity in sorbitol formulations. Agar is more expensive than starch, which

limits its large-scale use.

Current Research and Development into Seaweeds-Based Plastics

One corporation that is into research and development of algae-based plastics is

Cereplast, Inc. (NASDAQ: CERP), a leading US-based manufacturer of proprietary bio-

based, sustainable plastics which are used as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics.

Recently, Cereplast announced a breakthrough in their research and development of

algae-based resins. “Algae-based resins represent the latest advancement in bioplastics

technology and our product development efforts over the last several months has yielded

very encouraging results,” said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of

Cereplast, Inc. “The properties of hybrid materials that we have developed with algae are

now very close to meeting our expectations, and are on target to introduce a new family





algae-based plastics by the end of the year. In the not so distant future, we believe that

algae will become one of the most important 'green' feedstocks in bioplastics as well as

biofuels.” Added Mr. Scheer, “Our view is that developing alternative feedstock

unrelated to fossil fuels and to the food chain is the next 'frontier' for bioplastics and

Cereplast is moving ahead very aggressively on this front.”

Cereplast algae-based resins represent a breakthrough in industry technology and

have the potential to replace 50% or more of the petroleum content used in traditional

plastic resins. Currently, Cereplast is using renewable material such as starches from

corn, tapioca, wheat and potatoes in the manufacture of bio-based resins. Algae-based

resins, which are revolutionary in the industry, will complement the Company’s existing

line of Compostables and Hybrid resins.

Cereplast is currently in contact with several companies that plan to use algae to

minimize the carbon dioxide and nitrous gases from polluting smoke-stack environments.

Algae from a typical photo-bioreactor is harvested daily and may be treated as biomass,

which can be used as biofuel or as a raw material source for biopolymer feed stock. The

Company is also in direct communication with potential chemical conversion companies

that could convert the algae biomass into viable monomers for further conversion into

potential biopolymers.

According to William Kelly, leading Cereplast’s algae to plastics development

efforts: “Commercial algae resins represent a significant breakthrough in the greening of

the plastics industry, a transformation that we believe is critical to helping ensure the

long-term sustainability of the planet. There are already a number of big players entering



the commercial-scale algae production business, and the use of algae as a feedstock for

plastics allows us to go full circle: the very substance that can absorb and minimize CO2

and polluting gases from the industrial process can also be turned into sustainable,

renewable plastic products and biofuels while reducing our use of fossil fuels.”

Another corporation that is at the cutting edge of bio-plastic research and

development is the famous car manufacturer, Toyota. Toyota has been researching,

developing and using bioplastics as a material for car parts. The idea of cars made of

seaweed is not new. Toyota started putting bioplastics using crops like sugar cane and

corn into the company’s concept cars, back in 2001. The company also investigated

sweet potatoes as raw materials for its products. Right now, Toyota is in the process of

scaling up its bioplastic production by 2020. They aim for 20 million tons of these

bioplastics.

According to Toyota, using seaweeds will have a nifty advantage. As we all

know, there are 9000 different marine algae. Toyota used some of the specie to build

panels and car parts. They also said that making plastics out of seaweed is a lot cheaper,

and the good thing about it is that it is a lot friendlier to the environment compared to

usual plastics that are being used.

The company also found different ways of making plastics incredibly strong. One

process involves Nano-engineered composite. It emulates the molecular structure from a

seashell which results in the potential of seaweeds to become stronger than steel, at the

same time lighter than steel. That, in turn, will result to an energy efficient car.



Last year (2009), Toyota exhibited the 1/X plug-in hybrid concept car at the

Melbourne Motor Show floating the idea to replace the carbon-fiber reinforced to

seaweed bioplastic. "We used light-weight carbon-fibre reinforced plastic throughout the

body frame for its superior collision safety, but that material is made from oil," project

manager Tetsuya Kaida explained. “In the future, I'm sure we will have access to new

and better materials, such as those made from plants, something natural, maybe

something like paper. In fact, I want to create such a vehicle from seaweed because Japan

is surrounded by the sea."

Presently, Toyota does not foresee that much of drawbacks and disadvantages in

using seaweeds but acknowledges that there should be a few. For one, seaweed need to

be harvested correctly because seaweed is used worldwide for many other purposes.

Seaweed is also an important food to the Japanese. However, one advantage is that

Japan is surrounded by bodies of water that are abundant in seaweed. Another advantage

in the use of seaweed based plastic is that when it’s time for the product to be disposed, it

is a lot easier because their aging hulks could be eaten by microorganisms. It will be like

the life cycle of a seaweed.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/02/toyota-1x-plug.html

http://www.motorshow.com.au/

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/02/toyota-1x-plug.html

http://www.motorshow.com.au/



CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

A. Materials

3.0 g (1 tsp) agar (Gelidium amansii) powder

240 ml (1 cup) of 1% glycerol {C3H5(OH)3} solution

180 ml (3/4 cup) water {H2O}

Measuring cups and spoons

Mixing bowl

Sauce pan

Drying pan

Baking mold pan

Spatula

Table spoon

Cooking spoon

Stove

B. Procedure

1. Measure 3.0 g or 1 tsp. agar powder using a measuring spoon and place in a

mixing bowl.

2. Add 240 ml or 1 cup of 1% glycerol solution using a measuring cup.

3. Add 180 ml or ¾ cup water using a measuring cup.



4. Mix and stir the agar, glycerol and water in the mixing bowl using a spatula.

Keep mixing and stirring until there are no clumps left.

5. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and heat the pan on a stove until it reaches

about 95 C or until the mixture starts to froth (whichever comes first). ͦ

6. Keep stirring the mixture while heating using a cooking spoon.

7. Remove the pan from the stove once it is at the right temperature or starts to froth

but keep stirring using your cooking spoon.

8. Scoop out excess froth with a table spoon, and make sure there are no clumps.

9. Carefully pour approximately half of the mixture into a drying pan making sure

that it spreads out evenly using a spatula and the rest into a baking mold pan.

Allow them to dry.

10. Remove the plastic formed from the drying and baking mold pans once they

are dry.

11. If the plastic turns out to be too sticky or slimy, repeat the entire procedure but

decrease the glycerol by 10ml. You can repeat the experiment decreasing the

glycerol by same amount until you get a plastic you like.

C. Record Keeping

First of all, the materials must be sourced and the amounts of the ingredients to be

used shall be carefully measured using measuring tools for accuracy. All other materials

must be used properly to ensure the success of the experiment.

The end-product should be evaluated whether similar characteristics inherent in

plastics such as: 1. strength; 2. bendability; and 3. mouldable qualities are present or



absent. The group shall test the plastic's strength by gently pulling each end of the plastic

with equal force. The plastic's bendability will be tested by trying to connect both ends of

the product together. The plastic's mouldable qualities will be tested by forming the

product into different shapes using a baking mould pan.

Depending on the outcome as stated in step 11 of the Procedure, the experiment

shall be repeated for a minimum of 3 times and the observations/evaluations shall be

recorded for each plastic produced using specified measurements based on the above

qualities of a plastic. The results shall be presented in tabular form.



CHAPTER IV

DATA AND RESULTS

A. Data and Results of the Study

After several trials of experimentation, the group has come up with a plastic

material that met the criteria presented in the Methodology, namely: strength, bendability

and mouldability. The data and results for each trial conducted are presented in the tables

below.

Table 1: Testing the Qualities of the Plastic Produced Per Trial

No. of Trial Strength

(1-5)

Bendability

(1-5)

Mouldability

(1-5)

1 1 1 3

2 2 2 3

3 3 4 4

4 4 5 5

Legend: 1 – Lowest 5 – Highest

0

1

2

3

4

5

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial3 Trial 4

strength

bendability

mouldability

Table 2: Measurements of Ingredients Used Per Trial



No. of

Trial

Agar Powder

(tsp)

Glycerol Solution (240ml)

(glycerine:distilledwater)

Water

(ml)

1 1 2.4:237.6 180

2 1 3:237 180

3 1 1/2 5:235 1804 2 1/2 5:235 180

B. Discussion and Analysis of Data and Results

Table 1 provides the group’s evaluation of the plastic produced per trial based on

its strength, bendability and mouldability. As stated in Chapter III, strength will be tested

by gently stretching the plastic; bendability by connecting both ends of the plastic and

mouldability by observing if the plastic can take on different shapes.

In Trial 1, the plastic produced was too soft and slimy to be stretched, crumbled

into small multiple pieces when bended and was capable of being moulded.

In Trial 2, the plastic tore at the sides when stretched, broke a little more when

bended, and was capable of being moulded.

In Trial 3, the plastic produced was capable of being stretched with a little tearing

at the sides, capable of being bended without crumbling and formed the desired shape

when moulded. Also, a crude cup-like container was formed.

Finally in Trial 4, the plastic was a lot sturdier when stretched, stayed intact when

bended, and formed into the desired shapes when moulded. A sturdier cup that could hold

liquid was also produced.

These findings are documented by pictures found in Appendix “A” of the paper.



The plastics produced in all trials were cloudy in color and were moist under

room temperature. When touched, they were cool, smooth, slippery and rubber-like in

texture. The agar gave the product a sea-smell. It was observed that after five days, the

plastic started to change in appearance or degraded by shrinking and hardening and

formed dark spots.

The researchers encountered a problem in sourcing the ingredient glycerol

solution as there was no chemical company that sells 1% glycerol solution but only

99.86% pure glycerine. The group asked the help of a Math major on how to dilute the

pure glycerine to come up with 240 ml of 1% glycerol solution. The final constitution

was 2.4ml glycerine mixed with 237.6 ml distilled water. The complete details of the

formula proposed to the researchers are found in Appendix “B” of this paper.

Also, because of the problem with the 1% glycerol solution the researchers were

not able to strictly follow step 11 of the Methodology but instead used a trial-and-error

method of coming up with the right mix of agar powder and glycerol that would produce

a good plastic material. The amount of agar was increased in trials 3 & 4 while glycerine

was increased in trials 2 & 3. Despite the problem encountered, the experiment was a

success on the fourth trial.

CHAPTER VSUMMARY/CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Summary and Conclusion



The researchers were able to meet the objectives of this study. First, they were

able to produce a plastic material at home made from agar seaweed powder (gelling

agent) combined with glycerol (plasticizer). Through trial-and-error method, the group

found a right mix of agar powder and glycerol to produce a plastic material. But because

of the limitations, the product is not a perfect plastic. Second, it is environment-friendly

because after five days, the plastic material produced started to degrade which means

easier disposal of the plastic. Finally, even if it is a simple experiment, it supports other

studies that promote seaweed-based and other biodegradable plastics.

B. Recommendations

The researchers learned a lot from this study and encourage others to conduct

more in-depth studies on seaweeds-based plastics. A follow-up investigation on this

topic must look into:

1. Trying carrageenan seaweed powder as an alternative to agar powder;

2. Adding food coloring to make the product more presentable;

3. Using better or other types of moulders;

4. Conducting more trials until a better plastic is produced;

5. Combining agar with other biopolymers (ex. starch) to see if this will produce a

better plastic.

BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES

1. “Biodegradable Plastic.” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Nov. 2008.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic>



2. “Cereplast Provides Update on its Breakthrough Algae-Based Plastics.” BusinessWire.April 27, 2010.

<http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/>

3. Dunn, Tim. “The Evolution of Biodegradable Plastic.” Earth Nurture. Jan. 20, 2009.

<http://earthnurture.com/>

4. “Hot Science News: Cars built from seaweeds?” Science Channel. March 20, 2009.

<http://blogs.discovery.com/good_idea/2009/03/cars-built-from-seaweed.html>

5. Oehring, Rachael. “Food Science! Agar Agar Solo Cups.” Nerdist. Aug. 27, 2010.<http://www.nerdist.com/2010/08/food-science-agar-agar-solo-cups/>

6. “Plastic.” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. March 2007.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic>

7. Stevens, E.S. “An Introduction to the New Science of Biodegradable Plastics.”

Amazon.com. Nov. 1, 2001. Princeton University Press<http://greenplastics.com/wiki/>

8. Stevens, E. S. “How To: make algae bioplastic.” Green Plastics. Sept. 2, 2010.<http://green-plastics.net/discussion/54-student/84-how-to-make-algae-bioplastic>

APPENDIX “B”

DILUTION OF SOLUTIONS

In preparing a dilution/ solution from a stock solution, you can use law of conservation of mass to perform the calculation for the dilution:



MiVi = Mf Vf

where M is molarity, V is volume, and the subscripts i and f refer to the initial and final

values.

Or for the sake of simplicity use :

CdilutionVdilution = Cstock Vstock

C = Concentration

V = Volume

Given data:

1) Stock solution : 99.86% pure glycerine in a 250ml bottle

2) Final dilution : 1% glycerol solution in a 240ml bottle

Problem:

How many Xml of stock solution is needed to prepare the final solution?

Computation:

To make your final solution/dilution, i.e. 1% solution in a 240ml (glycerine plus distilled

water) bottle:

CdilutionVdilution = Cstock Vstock

(0.01 ) (0.240) = (0.9986) V stock liter

V stock liter = [(0.01)(0.240)] / (0.9986)

= 0.0024 / 0.9986

= 0.002403 liter or 2.403 ml of Stock Solution (glycerine)

The amount (ml) of distilled water required is:

240.00 ml – 2.403ml = 237.597 ml of distilled water

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