Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the study

From the early 1900s until about 1945, milk was commonly used to
make many different plastic ornaments. This included buttons, decorative
buckles, beads and other jewelry, fountain pens, the backings for hand-
held mirrors, and fancy combs and brush sets. 

Plastics are a group of materials that may look or feel different, but
can all be molded into varied shapes. The similarities and differences
between different plastic products come down to the molecules that
comprise them. All plastics are composed of molecules that repeat
themselves in a chain, called a polymer. Polymers can be chains of either
one type of molecule or different ones, which are linked together in a
regular pattern. Also, in a polymer, a single repeat of the pattern of
molecules is called a monomer, which can consist of just one type of
molecule or include several different kinds. Milk contains many molecules
of a protein called casein. Each casein molecule is a monomer and a
chain of casein monomers is a polymer. The polymer can be scooped up
and molded, which is why plastic made from milk is called casein plastic.
When you heat milk and add an acid, the casein molecules unfold and
reorganize into a long chain. Each casein molecule is a monomer which will
hooked together with many more of itself in a repeating pattern. The polymer
this form can be scooped up and molded, which is why it is a plastic
 The researcher chose this project so that he and other students can still
use an expired milk and turn it into plastic. The finished product is also non-toxic
since the materials used to create it are natural. Moreover, students may develop
creativity skills in making plastic, like turning it into decorative stuff, beads,
jewelry, decorative pieces and more. The product also has a potential of
becoming a source of income for those who wanted to market it.

B. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

From the early 1900s until about 1945, plastic made from
milk was quite common. This plastic, known as casein
plastic or by the trade names Galalith and Erinoid, was used to
manufacture buttons, decorative buckles, beads, and other
jewelry, as well as fountain pens and hand-held mirrors and
fancy comb-and-brush sets

C. Statement of the Problem

The study focuses on the process on how to create plastic out of

milk. It seeks to answer the following questions:
1. Are the ingredients easy to find?
2. Is milk-based plastic durable?
3. Who can benefit in this study?
B. Hypothesis

The researcher formulates the following hypothesis:

1. The ingredients are easy to find since these ingredients can be found in
the kitchen.
2. They are definitely highly durable when made correctly.
3. People who are interested in making milk out of plastic can benefit in
this study.

C. Significance of the Study

The design of the research is to help my people on how to make

plastic out of glue and turn it into a useful stuff. In this kind of study,
students will know how to make plastic made out of milk.

D. Scope and Limitations

The investigatory project focuses on the process of creating plastic

from milk. The limitation of the study is to make plastic using only
materials found in the kitchen.

E. Definition of Terms
Plastics - A synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such
as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc., that can be molded into shape while soft and
then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form.

Polymers - A substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly or

entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together,

Milk - an opaque white fluid rich in fat and protein, secreted by female mammals
for the nourishment of their young.

Monomer - A molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a

polymer.

Casein - The main protein present in milk and (in coagulated form) in cheese