In this project in aimed to develop a PPE item which consists of a bio-degradable, sustainable, eco-friendly material. As the need for PPE has increased since the Corona pandemic, PPE is largely in demand, most PPE product are discarded after use which I believe can and will have a big impact on the environment. By replacing synthetic materials with natural biodegradable materials the project aims to provide a sustainable solution for PPE products. For my design I went with PPE gloves as current synthetic solutions cause a great deal of pollution to the earth throughout their entire lifespan. I am currently developing a manufacturable outcome through my design process which is a current ongoing process.
Experimentation with a variety of natural ingredients in order to observe and test their qualities and characteristics.
By using material tests to determine a PPE product they materials I developed would be most suited to, I found that the bio-plastic charcoal mix could be well suited to gloves as it remains flexible and stretchy even when fully dried/cured. the sheet of my BP charcoal mix is very material like and takes the shape of anything it is draped over.
Ideation of variations of glove solutions through sketching, and how they could be manufactured.
Manufacturing process of Bio-plastic charcoal mix gloves
