USE OF MILK AS RAW MATERIAL IN CASEIN PLASTIC PRODUCTION

USE OF MILK AS RAW MATERIAL IN CASEIN PLASTIC PRODUCTION

By
BS Nursing , 1-A
Mendoza,A.K.R., Dalusag, M.N.M
Gregorio, C.U, Bantigue, J.J.
Guiyab, I.T, Pasay, J.J.G.
Zomil, A.B.L.

Addressed to
Prof. Nida G. Sope
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Perpetual Help DALTA
Pamplona, Las Pinas.

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ABSTRACT
Casein plastic is formed by the proteins in milk. Casein protein counts for about 80% of
cows milk and about 40% of human milk. The calcium caseinates form clumps when
mixed with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, bacteria, or vinegar. When treated with
formaldehyde the clumps form the casein plastic which is used to make imitation
tortoise shell and similar objects.It also is used in buckles, knitting pins, fountain pens,
dressing table pieces and plastic cutlery. Trade is the principal consumer of casein
plastics in general.
In this project, different types of milk: powdered milk, infant- formula, fresh whole milk
and sterilized milk, were used as sources of the protein. On the other hand, Citric acid,
apple cider and vinegar were used as acidic substances.
The purpose of this project was to research:

a way to yield eco-friendly plastic

repurpose milk that is on expiry state

Performance of experiment showed and proved that production of casein plastic can be
performed on typical household thereby reutilizing spoiled milk. Furthermore, it was
observed that different kinds of Milk proteins and produces different casein plastic
texture and colors. On the other hand, different types of acids did not affect the plastics
characteristic.

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QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.

Can an organic polymer be produced using milk as primary raw material?

Will types of acid and the types of milk affect the polymerization process?
Does temperature affect the production of casein?
Can spoiled or expired milk be repurposed?

HYPOTHESES
1. With reference to documented studies and actual execution of the experiment, it
is confirmed that casein plastic /polymer can be produced using milk.
2. Variance of acids produced similar characteristic of casein. However, variation of
milk produced distinguishing results. Milk with higher protein produce more
polymers.
3. Temperature play a high role in production of casein. Room temperature milk
produces hardly visible clumps. On the contrary, bunsen burner heated mixture
produces an amount equivalent to a 1 tsp of casein (based on 1 cup of Milk).
4. Milk can still be repurposed through casein plastic production. It is even better
than petroleum plastic as it environmentally due to its eventual decomposition.

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BACKGROUND & RESEARCH

Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic
materials used in a huge, and growing, range of applications.
plastics are everywhere. We use plastic products to help make our lives cleaner, easier,
safer and more enjoyable. It can be found in the clothes we wear, the houses we live in,
and the cars we travel in, In toys, in tech-gadgets to name a few.
Plastics are organic, the same as wood, paper or wool. The raw materials for plastics
production are natural products such as milk, cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and, of
course, crude oil. Plastics are todays and tomorrows materials of choice because they
make it possible to balance modern day needs with environmental concerns.
The term plastic is derived from the Greek word ''plastikos'' meaning fit for moulding,
and ''plastos'' meaning moulded. It refers to the materials malleability, or plasticity
during manufacture, that allows it to be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of
shapes - such as films, fibres, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much more.
There are two distinct groups of plastic materials:
Thermoplastics: can be heated up to form products and then if these end products are
re-heated, the plastic will soften and melt again.
Thermoset: These are plastics that can be melted and formed, but once they take
shape after they have solidified theyremain solid in contrast to thermoplastics it cannot
be remelted.

USE OF MILK AS RAW MATERIAL IN CASEIN PLASTIC PRODUCTION

Polymers
Plastics are polymers. What is a polymer? It is made of many units. Contemplate a
polymer as a chain. Each link of the chain is the "mer" or basic unit that is made of
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or "mers" are
hooked or polymerized together. Polymerization can be demonstrated by linking strips
of construction paper together to make paper garlands or hooking together hundreds of
paper clips to form chains.

Prior to World War II, natural substances were generally available; therefore, synthetics
that were being developed were not a necessity. Once the world went to war, our
natural sources of latex, wool, silk, and other materials were cut off, making the use of
synthetics critical. During this time period, we saw the use of nylon, acrylic, neoprene,
SBR, polyethylene, and many more polymers take the place of natural materials that
were no longer available. Since then, the polymer industry has continued to grow and
has evolved into one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and in the world.

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Milk as a polymer
Milk has fat and protein. Proteins are natural polymers their mers are amino acids
which bond together into long chains. Casein is the main protein in milk. Negative
charge in milk casein helps it stay suspended in water. Adding acid (positive hydrogen
ions, H+) to milk neutralizes the charge and causes the casein to precipitate or stick
together and separate from water. The casein can be collected and dried to make a
natural polymer.

Solidified casein

Polymerization
a chemical reaction in which two or more small molecules combine to form larger
molecules that contain repeating structural units of the original molecules it requires
energy activation to break bonds therefore a monomer may be attached to one another.
Hence, known as the removal of H2O from polymer

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Casein plastic
Casein, were introduced at the beginning of the 20th century, their starting material
being the protein in cows milk, precipitated by the action of the enzyme rennin. The
protein in milk was used by the Ancient Egyptians as a fixative for pigments in wall
paintings. It has also been used as a constituent in various glues but it appears not to
have been used as the basis of a solid plastics material until the end of the 19th century.
Krisch, head of a large firm of printers in Hanover experimented with casein to make a
washable white board for replacing the slates used in school - paper was too expensive
at that time for use by children to practise writing. He collaborated with Adolf Spitteler, a
chemist in Bavaria and on July 15th 1899, a patent for "plastic compositions" was taken
out in Germany.
The patent was taken up by firms in Germany (Vereinigten Gummivarenfabriken, at its
factory in Harburg) and in France by Pellerin and Orosdi (Compagnie Francaise de la
Galalithe, at Levallois Perret). The product was introduced under the trade name
Galalith and was first shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. A lot of
development work was still required to produce a stable material, and the two
companies merged in 1904 to form the International Galalith Gesellschaft Hoff and
Company with a new factory in Harburg. A process starting with dried casein granules,
known as the dry process, was developed and this was to become the universally
adopted method for casein plastics manufacture and remained virtually unchanged
throughout its history.
Although casein is readily moulded to shape under moderate heat and pressure, it does
not produce a stable material for manufacture until it has become hardened by soaking
in formalin (5% solution of formaldehyde in water) for a long period. Unfortunately, this
causes much distortion so casein plastics are almost always produced by machining
stock material such as sheet, rod, tube or buttton blanks (small discs). After machining,
casein may be polished either mechanically with abrasives or chemically with a 'dip
polish'.

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The material readily takes a surface dye, so coloured items can be quickly made from
pale coloured stock items. This was especially important for the button trade which was
the principal consumer of casein plastics.
As well as buttons and buckles, casein was also used for knitting pins, fountain pen and
propelling pencil barrels, dressing table ware and a host of other items.

Experimental produce

Commercially Produce

USE OF MILK AS RAW MATERIAL IN CASEIN PLASTIC PRODUCTION

MATERIALS

Stainless Steel Pot

Bowl
Measuring Cup
Measuring spoon
Solid single burner/ Bunsen burner
Spoons
Cotton cloth
Tissues or paper towels
Vinegar
Milk (powdered and fresh)
Gloves
Cookie cutters or molders
Paint
Digital camera

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PROCEDURE
1. Add four teaspoons (tsp.) of white vinegar to a mug or other heat-resistant pot.
2. Heat one cup of milk in a pan or on a stove top until it is steaming hot. Alternatively,
you can microwave the milk in a microwaveable container by warming it at 50
percent power for five minutes. It should be about the same temperature as milk you
would use to make hot cocoa; heat longer if needed.
3. Add the cup of hot milk to the pot. the milk should form white clumps that are called
curds.
4. Mix the mug slowly with a spoon for a few seconds.
5. Stack four layers of paper towels on a hard surface that will not be damaged if it gets
damp.
6. Once the milk and vinegar mixture has cooled a bit, use a spoon to scoop out the
curds. Collect as many curds as you can in this way and put them on top of the
paper towel stack.
7. Fold the edges of the paper towel stack over the curds and press down on them to
absorb excess liquid.
8. Knead all of the curds together into a ball, as if it were dough. .
9. color, shape or mold it (within an hour of making the plastic dough) and leave it to
dry on paper towels for at least 48 hours. Once it has dried, the casein plastic will be
hard.

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DISCUSSION
Plastic pollution has increasingly became a global issue. The accumulation of plastic
products in the environment is adversely affecting wildlife and their habitats as well as
humans health. The purpose of this project was to research the best way to yield quality
eco-friendly plastic that would decompose faster than petroleum plastic at the same
time repurposing expired milk.
Performance of experiment showed and proved that production of casein plastic can be
performed on typical household thereby reutilizing spoiled milk.
It was observed that different kinds of Milk proteins produces different casein plastic
texture and colors. On the other hand, different types of acids did not affect the plastics
characteristic. Temperature also affect the production. Room temperature or unheated
mixture resulted to finer curds while high temperatures speed up polymerization
process. The protein to acid ratio of 1:3 yielded the most amount of plastic.