Turning Potatoes Into Plastic

In this video I show you how to make your own biodegradable plastic from potaotes.
Consider supporting my channel if you want more chemical content :)
If you want to support my work here's my patreon - / amateurchemistry
0:00 Intro
2:12 Making Potato Starch
4:34 Making Oobleck
6:43 Making The Plastic
10:46 Outro
#chemistry
#experiment
#diy
#plastic

[@jhoughjr1]

cellohane was popular before petroleum plastics.

[@adamrak7560]

Another one: Mix glycerol and citric acid at 1-1 molar ratio without any water (the correct ratio is _very_ important). If you cook/bake it slightly above 100C (effectively removing the extra water coming from the cross linking esterification reaction) you can get hard foam, or thin hard coatings. For hard coatings you need to start below 100C and very slowly increase the temp to prevent foaming (the entire process can last for a day). The resulting polymer is highly biodegradable, but if it is was baked long enough it can resist water for a _few_ minutes. (NaOH or KOH or even sodium carbonate can destroy the polymer it if boiled in water)

[@jhoughjr1]

I think controlling the drying would be a way to improve. Maybe peeling the potatoes too as there is little starch in the pees and maybe the cellulose in the peels affects the polymerization? Or maybe it acts like a nucleation site helping the glucose form cellulose.

[@Dovenchiko]

My thought is somehow making it into a 2 part anhydrous resin because a lot of the volume is water causing it to shrink.

[@tayday424]

Great videos! This channel is gonna blow up like me trying to do chemistry.

[@experimental_chemistry]

Very entertaining presented! 👍 Nice and simple - well suited for childrens to discover home science, too! My daughter and me like such stuff. 😊🙂 10:40 R.I.P. bio plastic 😉

[@jasonmorello1374]

One thing, tho it may have added a few steps, the material you filter out right at the first is largely cellulose fibers, which would work similarly to starch, but have more long chains and some cross bridge chains.

[@experimental_chemistry]

And I like that you also show possible side experiments (here: Oobleck).

[@asgerthorndalkofod2366]

Awesome video! Didn't know it was so easy. Another video exploring additives would be very interesting. Keep up the good work!

[@6022]

Something a lot of people don't really seem to consider is that one of the big problems with plastic is not just that it hangs around for a long time, but when it does break down into nanoplastics and microplastics, it ends up in the food web, and can cause all sorts of unforseen negative effects. If you have a plastic that breaks down into the same things as a potato, it's much less bad news if those by-products end up in an animal. Much better to end up with potato in your bloodstream, rather than polyvinylchloride.

[@suwedo8677]

Amazing work! I love your videos, you make me learn so much, you're overly underrated I wish you had more visibility!

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Thank you! I'm glad that you can learn something from my videos :)

[@EddieTheH]

Mum, can we get some Lego? We've got Lego at home! 😂😂😂

[@HexaflexagonFan]

pretty cool!

[@AssistantLeaflet]

Great video. I wonder if there are some nontoxic processes to cure it into a quite hard plastic that can be used and casted into little jars for storing things. Maybe it could also be treated with those water proof sprays in order to hold wet things in it (not for human consumption of course). Maybe curing it in the oven would work with a higher concentration of Vinegar.

[@DIYdoofus]

without the glycerine it would form a hard plastic I think

[@elmacho7561]

Great work¡ You have a new sub, good man.

[@jimmy_kirk]

"You can use corn starch, potato starch or wheat flour, but I will go with potato starch just because potatoes are the best meme" You can't argue with that logic! 😄

[@lordsqueak]

Would it be possible to make filament for a 3D printer.. I think that would make for an awesome video,, and awesome in general.

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

The potato plastic unfortunately cannot be reheated, so it can't be made into a filament, however i have an idea of making PLA plastic from sugar in the future.

[@tykokavaak5784]

@@Amateur.Chemistry Not everything 3D printed needs to have thermoplastic properties, or be a filament. FDM can use many different materials. If I had an auger/hopper feed for my printer [and the space to set it up :( ] I would totally be playing with this. Oooh, I still have chitosan from when I was trying to make biodegradable plastic fish baits. 🧠⚙⚙

[@EthanMckinnell]

@@tykokavaak5784 there is also the slow drying times to worry about, I have also heard it is rather inconsistent in texture and would get clogged in nozzle too easily

[@UserB_tm]

You had me at potato ASMR😂

[@nattsurfaren]

I wish to see someone making it water-resistant. I did some research and this could be interesting: Reinforcement with natural additives: Incorporating natural additives like waxes, oils, or resins into the bioplastic formulation can help improve its water resistance. These additives create a hydrophobic barrier, reducing water permeability. Examples include beeswax, carnauba wax, or natural oils such as palm oil or soybean oil.

[@AssistantLeaflet]

High quality cold pressed linseed oil as a base layer could work. Good quality linseed oil or flax seed oil is used all the time for making food grade surfaces in wood working already since it’s a nontoxic drying oil. Putting it in the oven to cure the linseed oil @150f for 30min intervals over and over again till it’s dry and doing two coats of that I think would work well. I do oil painting and when I am feeling impatient I try to dry the paintings in the oven and it works well if I can’t use a quick drying medium like galkyd lite or liquin. Using a quick drying medium like liquin or galkyd lite would be good for curing the linseed oil quickly for a cup at room temp as an additive to the linseed oil coating but they are pretty toxic. It would avoid putting a linseed oil coated plastic in the oven from warping but it wouldn’t be food safe. I already have everything and it’d be simple enough with the methods in this video as long as I can get the plastic hard enough before hand and water free so I might try it. I wrote too much my bad.

[@nattsurfaren]

@@AssistantLeaflet That is indeed very interesting. I wonder why linseed oil is so different from other oils. Maybe it acts more like a resin? I just did research on natural resin and that could also work.

[@treydean9843]

Nice. can you make a video for a beginning lab? I have all the basic glassware, just looking for some experiments to do. Single replacement, double displacement, synthesis and other things that are simple

[@suwedo8677]

Well you can try turning eggshells into calcium carbonate crystals, then you can use HCl to turn them into Calcium chloride. There's like TONS of simple experiments like this on the internet, I'll point you to a few different sources: ElementalMaker, NileRed, Cody's Lab, Extractions&Ire, Explosions&Fire, learn using these ressources! And then if you wanna learn the theory of chemistry there's Khan Academy courses for free which are AWESOME and super simple to follow along

[@vivkkush]

thanks

[@photonik-luminescence]

Hi, its me again. The recipe actually works ! I am now experimenting but i will make a video and i will make sure to credit you for the recipe in the video !

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Hi, I am glad that the recipe worked for you! Also that's very kind of you to credit my recipe :)

[@adelinyoungmark1929]

you could probably add some sugar to the mix to purposely make it sweeter, so you could make a plastic candy kinda thing.

[@adelinyoungmark1929]

you'd have to dissolve it though to prevent it from being gritty

[@user-ki2eg8hy7n]

Hi, thanks for your video, nice work. I would like to do some artwork with bioplastic but I don’t know if I can get it to dry to a 5mm thick sheet, I assume it would still have a malleable behaviour but I would like it to be harder, do you know of a way? I have coffee mugs that say they are made of cornstarch but how do they get it to be that hard?

[@anthonyplayground1402]

Good for food storage .... how long till it rots if left in cupboard in sealed container, or does it need to be refrigeratored

[@Freakhealer]

Technically this can be plastic but will it get mold(fungus)? It would be nice to test a rigid type vs a rubbery type and see their strengths, how durable, if any are resistant to water and at what temperature limits. I can see myself making a mold with this if I knew a recipe that would resist mold (fungus) at least

[@PeakOfHumor]

great experiment! What can be used instead of glycerine? And how to make it harder?

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Thanks! If you want to make it harder you must use less glycerin and more starch. When it comes to replacing glycerin i dont know what else would work that well.

[@sidneyswerissen3910]

8:10 at this point it’s children’s glue and can also be used as wallpaper glue

[@dewathewolf664]

Can you tell what kinda mixture to make plastic Hard or can be be say turn be pcp plastic

[@sarahsteenbock1296]

hello, I was wondering which ratios you used for the orange plastic that you showed at 6:35, since it looks a lot stiffer than the other ones.

[@MySmallWorld2023]

Its a nice try. I have a question. As I saw it is dissolving in water. How can we improve it in to a manner that we can pack the watery things inside like in normal plastic?

[@chemicalmaster3267]

@Amateur Chemistry What about converting polystyrene into more harmless benzoic acid? I think it is a good idea to try to do some recycling with that nasty plastic.

[@LouisTroyAustin28]

How do u make pla or poly-lactide

[@oldmandave6039]

How about making cellulose base bioplastic?

[@tejashsharma4927]

Is the last product is can be Remelted please answer.

[@MrSparkefrostie]

Wondering if any foods use this process without being aware its a plastic

[@raygun26]

This would be perfect for a little kids science fair project. Parents write this down😂.

[@vishnupriyan7876]

How many days will it take to do this job ?

[@Palmit_]

hi. great video! i have a question...apart from water, what enemies does this plastic have? do contact with metals ...aluminium for example..or salts.. etc cause any kind of adverse results?

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Thanks! This plastic doesn't have avy reactions with metals and probably salts too, but since it is made out of starch some kinds of mold can probably eat it when it is wet.

[@Palmit_]

@@Amateur.Chemistry cool. and thanks. i think i can genuinely make use of this process. but i wouldn't have even considered it until i saw your vid. Keep well, and keep going! :)

[@brunobastos5533]

this is almost the recipe for Turkish delights , they use tartar as the acid

[@fedfox0881]

Can you vulcanize it?

[@helenamallorytyahyo1858]

any solution to replace glycerin with? can we use honey?

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Maybe, although honey and glycerin are two completly different substances

[@resenese573]

You can probably us antifreeze as a glycerin source

[@SuperROFLWAFL]

You turned potatoes into plastic, but can you turn plastic into potatoes?!?!?

[@reizer100]

forbidden kisiel XD

[@markomacik334]

2:32 Pov: you are making school launches

[@drasiella]

Ah, the "hurrdurr six hundos" music

[@DrPsychotic]

ive always liked the idea of bioplastic, it seems like a simple fix to the plastic issue but when you REALLY think about replacing plastic with this stuff it seems like it wont cut it, a lot of the time plastic is meant to keep bacteria out, if I had a bioplastic zip lock bag, could I use it the same way? If i leave it sitting on my desk with chips in it for a week would it properly keep the air out or would it start to degrade? that's what I wonder as well how log would it take to degrade in a household environment? also is it sticky? cause that would be a problem if it dissolves in water than air moisture would likely get to it... TLDR I love the idea but I wish we could make a kind that only becomes biodegradable once something specific is done to it so "dispose" of it Also WHAY IS EVERYONE SO OBSESSED WITH EATING IT??? Can we go more in the Make it useful rather than make it more edible dang! why yall wanna eat plastic so bad? more sugar = more degradable = shorter lifespan I want it to go away but not before im done using it as plastic, if im gunna eat it i wouldn't use it as plastic....

[@rubylicious1024]

🤔you bake with it with, so maybe can be a reason to why they want to eat it😆!? no idea, but if it's hot and very humid, maybe it could become sticky!? but generalised (and according to me😆) basic bio plastics, can't be used the same.. and air isn't really the problem, it's water and/or heat.. it can be made so it wouldn't dissolve (at least for a period of time) in alcohol or acetone, but still would in water.. if you for ex use gelatin and/or milk, you can get it waterproof but it's not heatproof.. if you want petri dishes and if I recall correctly, I think it was agar.. so for the bacteria, that would also depend on what it's made out of.. the same for the long-term usage.. and maybe it could be an alternative for some of the single use stuff.. but it's the same problem, for how it holds up, and that is if it's not some additives.. and then it's how that can be recycled? because you can recycle plastic, not just burning it, or making polyester and stuff.. you can turn it back to it's hydrocarbons, and make other stuff from that, or make fuel.. the catch is, if it's cost effective.. that, and if it's easier to make new stuff, (with no incentives or pressure) then that's what they'll do..

[@TheDaro150]

no za ocet to szanuję

[@Paonporteur]

Turn potatos into butyric acid [through anaerobic fermentation]. Hundreds of liters of butyric acid and other subtsances were made from potatos in the near past. I just wish someone on KZbin recreate it small scale

[@photonik-luminescence]

Question, does also flower starch work ?

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Probably, altrough i havent tested it.

[@photonik-luminescence]

@@Amateur.Chemistry oh, well then, I will test it my self and probably make a video. Thanks for the response. Also, great chanel ! You, diserve my sub.

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Thanks! Your channel is also great :)

[@photonik-luminescence]

@@Amateur.Chemistry thankyou so much

[@adelinyoungmark1929]

i just made some, it does work, although it makes the plastic a bit more yellow for some reason. might just be my flour, but it was like a cocoa butter color.

[@rumpelstiltskin-ei9he]

Watching potato grind makes my hands hurt.

[@purplegravy1]

Use wax paper

[@terenceiutzi4003]

All plant fiber that is so important to controlling cholesterol and sugar levels are cellulose plastic. They are not making bioplastic they are just harvesting it.

[@ejtono1582]

Ziemniak

[@user-zl4db4py5p]

What about to do some wood or milk plastic😏

[@slyfoxchemistry]

Amazing job well done how are you

[@Amateur.Chemistry]

Thanks! I am good :)

[@slyfoxchemistry]

@@Amateur.Chemistry i can't wait to try it and what does it taste like and what does it do to you

[@charleejay4777]

The cells will rupture if you freeze the potatoes

[@metasferous6319]

Don't bury acidic things in the ground

[@robotnikkkk001]

=AHA,THAT'S A TIDE CAPSULE CHALLENGE BASICALLY AS FAR AS I KNOW ........AND YEAH,THAT "PLASTIC" IS ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH COMMON DISH AND NOTHING SPECIAL......WHEN I'M LIKE TOO MUCH STRESSED I'M MAKING A HUGE BOWL OF IT AND EAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS......OF COURSE IT'S VERY SWEET BERRY FLAVORED

[@XZenon]

I mean, it's interesting and all but not really useful for anything, right? I think the biggest problem is that we want something relatively biodegradable but also something water resistant, more like wax..

[@user-uj7hd7yi7g]

نريد بلاستك مفيد للاستعمال لا يذوب في الماء وملاحضة نريد فيديوهات من مواد متوفره في المنزل او كيفيه صنعها من مواد في المنزل لان يصعب الحصول على المكونات الكيميائية على سبيل المثال حامض الهيدروكلوريك وغيره We want plastic that is useful for use and does not dissolve in water. Note, we want videos of materials available at home or how to make them from materials at home because it is difficult to obtain chemical components, for example hydrochloric acid and others.

[@SeeNyuOG]

SIEMA

[@zalzalahbuttsaab]

Uff. Vowel pronunciation is very difficult to understand.

[@MyKharli]

Turning plastic into potatoes would be far more useful .

[@pepeyufera97]

6:35 carbon is used to harden iron and its also the base of our biology whats ur point duh . jk xd

[@Jkauppa]

grinder anyone, or a ball mill, or a potato mill, what interference, excuses

[@Jkauppa]

milk + vinegar = plastic

[@Jkauppa]

synthesize that glycerol/-ine yourself

[@Jkauppa]

if you buy all the ingredients then you could directly buy the plastic as well, no need to complicate that process

[@angaria777]

amrika k shis r russia china b agar qabza kre tu khouf naak jan ho jaye iran se riayat q???????drama bazi

[@jimiliev3924]

F plastics. Tell me How to make potatoes out of plastics