{"id":146768,"date":"2024-06-28T07:23:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T05:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=146768"},"modified":"2024-06-24T11:10:33","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T09:10:33","slug":"wear-it-then-recycle-designers-make-dissolvable-textiles-from-gelatin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wear-it-then-recycle-designers-make-dissolvable-textiles-from-gelatin\/","title":{"rendered":"Wear it, then recycle: Designers make dissolvable textiles from gelatin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"474\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-1024x474.jpg\" alt=\"Coils of thread in many different colors lying on a surface in a rainbow shape - Biofibers made from gelatin in a rainbow of colors. (Credit: Utility Research Lab)\" class=\"wp-image-146792\" style=\"aspect-ratio:2.160337552742616;width:778px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-1024x474.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-150x70.jpg 150w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-768x356.jpg 768w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1-400x185.jpg 400w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/06\/many-colored-fibers-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Biofibers made from gelatin in a rainbow of colors. (\u00a9 Utility Research Lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Researchers at the ATLAS Institute at the CU Boulder are now one step closer to that goal. In a new study, the team of engineers and designers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1145\/3613904.3642387\">developed a DIY machine<\/a>\u00a0that spins textile fibers made of materials like sustainably sourced gelatin. The group\u2019s \u201cbiofibers\u201d feel a bit like flax fiber and dissolve in hot water in minutes to an hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"BorlabsCookie _brlbs-cb-youtube\"><div class=\"_brlbs-content-blocker\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-embed _brlbs-video-youtube\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"_brlbs-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/borlabs-cookie\/assets\/images\/cb-no-thumbnail.png\" alt=\"YouTube\"> <div class=\"_brlbs-caption\"> <p>By loading the video, you agree to YouTube&#8217;s privacy policy.<br><a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en&amp;gl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more<\/a><\/p> <p><a class=\"_brlbs-btn _brlbs-icon-play-white\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load video<\/a><\/p> <p><label><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"unblockAll\" value=\"1\" checked> <small>Always unblock YouTube<\/small><\/label><\/p> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div><div class=\"borlabs-hide\" data-borlabs-cookie-type=\"content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-id=\"youtube\"><script type=\"text\/template\">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<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The team, led by Eldy L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez, a doctoral student in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/atlas\/\">ATLAS Institute<\/a>, presented its findings in May at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/chi2024.acm.org\/\">CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems<\/a>&nbsp;in Honolulu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhen you don\u2019t want these textiles anymore, you can dissolve them and recycle the gelatin to make more fibers,\u201d said <strong>Michael Rivera, a co-author of the new research<\/strong> and assistant professor in the ATLAS Institute and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/cs\/\">Department of Computer Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The study tackles a growing problem around the world: In 2018 alone, people in the United States&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling\/textiles-material-specific-data#:~:text=Landfills%20received%2011.3%20million%20tons,generation%20and%20management%20of%20textiles.\">added more than 11 million tons<\/a>&nbsp;of textiles to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency\u2014nearly 8% of all&nbsp;municipal solid waste produced that year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers envision a different path for fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their machine is small enough to fit on a desk and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/utilityresearchlab\/desktop-biofibers-spinning\">cost just $560 to build<\/a>. L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez hopes the device will help designers around the world experiment with making their own biofibers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYou could customize fibers with the strength and elasticity you want, the color you want,\u201d <strong>she<\/strong> said. \u201cWith this kind of prototyping machine, anyone can make fibers. You don\u2019t need the big machines that are only in university chemistry departments.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spinning threads<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/today\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/article-image\/biofibers-machine-close.jpg?itok=elEQs_1Z\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/today\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/article-image\/biofibers-machine-close.jpg?itok=elEQs_1Z\" alt=\"Machine sits on a tabletop with a long, plastic syringe mounted above two spinning wheels. This DIY machine for spinning gelatin fibers cost just $560 to build\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6654835847382431;width:301px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This DIY machine for spinning gelatin fibers cost just $560 to build. (\u00a9 Utility Research Lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The study arrives as fashionistas, roboticists and more are embracing a trend known as \u201csmart textiles.\u201d Levi\u2019s Trucker Jacket with Jacquard by Google, for example, looks like a denim coat but includes sensors that can connect to your smartphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But such clothing of the future comes with a downside, <strong>Rivera<\/strong> said: \u201cThat jacket isn&#8217;t really recyclable. It&#8217;s difficult to separate the denim from the copper yarns and the electronics.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>To imagine a new way of making clothes, the team started with gelatin. This springy protein is common in the bones&nbsp;of many animals, including pigs and cows. Every year, meat producers throw away large volumes of gelatin that doesn\u2019t meet requirements for cosmetics or food products like Jell-O. (L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez bought her own gelatin, which comes as a powder, from a local butcher shop.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She and her colleagues decided to turn that waste into wearable treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The group\u2019s machine uses a plastic syringe to heat up and squeeze out droplets of a liquid gelatin mixture. Two sets of rollers in the machine then tug on the gelatin, stretching it out into long, skinny fibers\u2014not unlike a spider spinning a web from silk. In the process, the fibers also pass through liquid baths where the researchers can introduce bio-based dyes or other additives to the material. Adding a little bit of genipin, an extract from fruit, for example, makes the fibers stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other co-authors of the research included Mirela Alistar and Laura Devendorf, both assistant professors in ATLAS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dissolving duds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez said designers may be able to do anything they can imagine with these sorts of textiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a proof of concept, the researchers made small textile sensors out of gelatin fibers and cotton and conductive yarns, similar to the makeup of a Jacquard jacket. The team then submerged these patches in warm water. The gelatin dissolved, releasing the yarns for easy recycling and reuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Designers could tweak the chemistry of the fibers to make them a little more resilient, L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez said\u2014you wouldn\u2019t want your jacket to disappear in the rain. They could also play around with spinning similar fibers from other natural ingredients. Those materials include chitin, a component of crab shells, or agar-agar, which comes from algae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re trying to think about the whole lifecycle of our textiles,\u201d <strong>L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez<\/strong> said. \u201cThat begins with where the material is coming from. Can we get it from something that normally goes to waste?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/today\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/article-image\/co-authors_at_chi.jpg?itok=AdQxO-wm\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.colorado.edu\/today\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/article-image\/co-authors_at_chi.jpg?itok=AdQxO-wm\" alt=\"From left to right, researchers Eldy L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez (holding gelatin yarn), Mirela Alistar and Michael Rivera.\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3611615245009074;width:706px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left to right, researchers Eldy L\u00e1zaro V\u00e1squez (holding gelatin yarn), Mirela Alistar and Michael Rivera. (\u00a9 Utility Research Lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Researchers at the ATLAS Institute at the CU Boulder are now one step closer to that goal. In a new study, the team of engineers and designers\u00a0developed a DIY machine\u00a0that spins textile fibers made of materials like sustainably sourced gelatin. The group\u2019s \u201cbiofibers\u201d feel a bit like flax fiber and dissolve in hot water in [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":146793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Introducing the fashion of the future: a T-shirt you can wear a few times, then, when you get bored with it, dissolve and recycle to make a new shirt","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572,17143],"tags":[10416,14928,24399,11323,12417,12679,12468,14891],"supplier":[5374,24398],"class_list":["post-146768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","category-recycling","tag-circulareconomy","tag-fashion","tag-gelatin","tag-naturalfibers","tag-proteins","tag-recyclability","tag-textiles","tag-yarns","supplier-university-of-colorado-boulder","supplier-utility-research-lab"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146768"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=146768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}