Plastic Series: Bioplastic From Your Kitchen

We made plastic today! At least we think we did. It hasn't cured yet - hours later. The instructional YouTube video didn't go into how long it would take to dry out and feel like plastic. Somehow we're confident that it will be plastic in the end. Before it biodegrades.

Here's what you'll need:

Tools:
Hot plate or stovetop
pot
1Tbs measure
1tsp measure
silicone spatula
silicone mat or silicone cutting board
(you can even find textured surfaces to use, or make your own molds with plasticine)


Ingredients:
1Tbs Tapioca Starch (or Corn Starch or Potato Starch)
4Tbs Water
1tsp glycerin (we could only find the liquid suppository kind at the pharmacy today:)
1tsp white vinegar
optional food coloring

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients, in order, into your pot.
2. Stir until completely mixed
3. Turn the heat up to medium
4. (if using food coloring this is when you plop it in)
5. "Stir your head off" until it becomes translucent
6. Pour onto your surface and smooth it out to desired thickness. This step is actually slightly challenging, it's rather goopy and difficult to get a consistent thickness. But it was fun, just the same. It cools off pretty quickly. 

We don't yet know how long it takes to become plastic, it's been about five hours since our first batch and it's certainly getting there, but not quite. We also made molds of minifigs using plasticine, and I can see learning how to make molds for something like this being yet another interesting avenue of learning. I think you could do this experiment with young kids, as long as you feel safe with them at the stove. I think the hardest part is waiting for it to set (it is for me, anyhow). Though I must admit, it was difficult for me to sit back and not help at certain moments, maybe that was the hardest for me. (But maybe the best part for Coleman)