There is so many issues arouse regarding the usage of Styrofoam in our daily lives. It has been the prime research to find its replacement by an eco-friendly alternative.This had motivate Ecovative's Greensulate to create AeroClay.
The research began with an accidental discovery in the lab. One of the students freeze-dried clay and got something intriguing enough to warrant a closer look. So, the team started mixing the clay with a variety of materials. When they added a cow's milk protein called casein, they ended up with a super-light, fluffy, and foam-like material.
"The idea that we could go from milk and dirt to plastic foam seems attractive," said David Schiraldi, a polymer scientist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "Clay is pretty close to inexhaustible. Our only effluent is water vapor. It seems pretty green to me."
Next, they add some casein powder, a dried version of the most common protein in milk. The final ingredient is a tiny amount of a glycerol-based material, which basically stiffens up the solution's chemical bonds.
After running the blender one last time, the scientists pour the dirty-looking water into molds and freeze them like ice-cubes. Then, they freeze-dry it get all the water out.
The result, Schiraldi said, is a material that has all the same properties of Styrofoam, but is 98 percent bio-based. At 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), the milk-containing foam lets out a few drops of water. But it stays sturdy up to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit).
Source: Discovery
Website: Aeroclayinc.com
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