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Homemade Plastic
by Coffeebot on April 28, 2007
Table of Contents
Homemade Plastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: Homemade Plastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: Ingredients & Utensils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 2: Heat it up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 3: Strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Step 4: Sop up the excess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Step 5: Mold! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
Author:Coffeebot author's website
Just a dude who likes making things :)
Intro: Homemade Plastic
This is a quick and simple method for making your own general-purpose plastic. The constituent ingredients are milk and vinegar. That's it. The total cost is less than
$10, possibly less than $5 if you can get a good deal.
The plastic is moldable, and has a consistency of soggy cheese (I certainly hope I never encounter cheese that's anything like this!). When all is said and done, it should
take you about 10-15 minutes to make the plastic (less if you make a small amount), 10 minutes of cleanup, plus 2+ days to allow the plastic to dry. As always, your
milage may vary.
As for the final product's strength and whatnot, I would classify it as "okay." If you roll it thin (as I did in this instructable), it can easily be snapped in half, though it will
probably survive a small drop on to carpet. Thicker pieces seem to be more resilient against average abuses - no problem dropping on to carpet, and if it's thick enough,
you wouldn't be able to snap it in half. A blow from a hammer or other such object would quickly shatter it, though.
All in all, I would say this is mostly useful for folks looking for a fast and dirt cheap alternative to much better products available to the average joe. It's definitely not for
something that will be handled on a daily basis - good enough for light decor, not much else.
This is my first Instructable, so bear with. Constructive criticism is always welcome!
Image Notes
1. nice and moist, ready to set for a few days.
Step 1:Ingredients & Utensils
This doesn't require anything fancy.
Essential Items:
Milk
Vinegar
Large Pot
Larger Pot (needs to be the same size as the other, or larger).
Spoon, preferably plastic or metal
Strainer or Colander, the finer the better
Stove or other item with which to simmer milk.
Paper Towels, lots and lots of paper towels
Handy, but not necessarily essential, items:
Wax Paper (good for rolling and shaping on. Water and other liquids bead up on it for easy clean-up; also non-stick with the casein)
Aluminum Foil (good for certain types of molds)
Rolling pin (if you're going to make a flat sheet of plastic)
Before you begin making the plastic, it's important to know what you're intending to make. By knowing what you're final goal is, you can make the preparations for the
mold before you have a sloppy wad of plastic on your counter.
For this Instructable, I am making a curved piece that will fit on the front bezel of my computer case. Since this is beyond the scope of this particular instructable, I'm
going to gloss over what I'm using. My mold is going to be the front bezel of the computer case, covered with aluminum foil. The plastic will dry nicely on top of it, and the
aluminum won't shrivel or wrinkle when it gets wet as the plastic cures.
How much milk and vinegar will you need? The basic ratio that I follow is 1 TBSP of vinegar for every cup of milk. (16:1 ratio, milk to vinegar)
1 cup of milk will produce a puck of plastic about 2" in diameter, 1/8" thick.
To cover my case bezel, which is about 6 inches wide and 8 inches tall, I am going to use 8 cups of milk (and therefore 8 Tbsp of vinegar).
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
Image Notes
1. It's Milk!
2. Vinegar. Fairly self-explanitory
3. Measuring cup for, uh, measuring. Choose a size appropriate for your
project. Mine's only 1 cup.
4. 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon.
Image Notes
1. Strainer/Colander. This is the largest I have, but the holes are pretty large, so I
lose a chunk of my casein.
Image Notes
1. Wax Paper
2. Aluminum Foil. Pardon me if I refer to it as "tin foil." It's the same thing.
3. Coffee. Essential to the process, if only for me to drink :)
Step 2:Heat it up
If you've never heated milk before, it's important to know that if you heat it too fast, it will start to burn on the bottom of the pot. To bring it to a simmer, it's best to keep the
heat down to about 50-60%.
I don't follow my own advice, and use full heat, because I don't want to wait.
While the milk is heating, be sure to stir it occasionally, so it doesn't burn. Also, if you're heating more than one or two cups of milk, measure the vinegar out into the cup
while the milk is warming. This is personal preference, as it makes it easier to pour the vinegar in all at once, rather than measuring it out in a hurry.
During this time, you may need to pander to a needy cat, if one happens to be around.
When the milk nears boiling, you will notice a foam forming on top of the milk, as well as a little noise coming from the pot. Steam will start to appear too.
Once you reach this point, turn off the heat, pour in the vinegar, and stir. You will immediately notice chunks of casein forming. Stir it for another thirty seconds or so, for
good measure.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
Image Notes
1. Almost done heating. It's not quite visible in the picture, but the foam is whiter
than the milk.
Image Notes
1. Pander to the needy kitty. It will make the rest of the project easier, because
he'll leave you alone.
2. The half-closed eyes are a sure sign you've appeased his majesty.
Image Notes
1. Pre-measured vinegar; blurry because I'm just so excited to dump it in!
Image Notes
1. After adding the vinegar, you'll see instant results.
Step 3:Strain
Slowly pour the heated liquid through the colander and into the larger pot. Most of the chunks of casein will get caught. We pour slowly to avoid splashing the plastic-
loaded liquid into the sink. Something tells me that chunks of this stuff in the drain is not a Good Thing(tm).
Once you've poured it out (don't worry about what's left in the bottom, we'll get to that), gently shake the strainer, and swirl it around a little. Most of the casein will lump
up in the bottom, pulling itself out of the holes. Make sure a majority of the liquid is strained out, but don't press it out -- the casein will just get stuck in the holes, and
make it harder to get out.
Now that it's all clumped together, dump it out on some wax paper.
If you have a super-porous strainer like mine, you may want to pour the liquid through the strainer several times. Doing it a second time pulled a chunk about 1/4 as large
as the original mass; that's a nice addition.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
Image Notes
1. Gently shake and swirl...
Image Notes
1. An overexposed casein lumping up in the bottom of the strainer.
Image Notes
1. The wet mass of casein after dumping.
Step 4:Sop up the excess
After you've strained all of the casein out of the liquid, you'll want to soak up some of the remaining juice in the mass on the wax paper.
Use a few paper towels, and press gently on the casein. The liquid will spill out like squeezing a sponge. Be careful not to make it too dry, because it will become difficult
to mold if it's too dry.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
Step 5:Mold!
At this point, you're ready to do whatever you want with the plastic.
It will take about two days to cure, but if you're using a mold where it cannot easily breathe, it will take longer.
One thing to watch out for is that the casein will warp when it's drying, especially if you have it rolled out into a sheet. It's best to put a weight on it. Watch out , though,
because it will seep a milky-vinegary scented liquid into whatever is holding it in place. I used a heavy programming book...and it now has a funny smell to it. Awesome.
For my project, I just need to roll the casein out and let it dry.
Lay another sheet of wax paper over the casein. Use a rolling pin to spread it out. If you didn't dry it too much in the previous step, it should roll nicely, without many
cracks or chunks.
Finally, I pressed it between two sheets of aluminum foil, and curved it across the bevel I'm using.
Give it a few days to dry, and it'll be ready to go. This is critical. Depending on how you wrap/mold your casein, you may find it takes more than a week to dry. Wrapping
mine in foil took two weeks to get remotely dry. As is expected, the thicker it is, the longer it will take to dry.
I should also note that if you're making a flat piece like I am, the plastic will curl if you remove it from its mold before its dry. I made this mistake with this project,
and ended up with a piece that was unusable because it curled.
The final product is quite rigid when it's thick (1/8 inch or thicker), moderately pliable when it's a little thinner, and brittle if it's paper thin. It's also sandable and paintable.
Go forth and have homemade plasticy fun!
Image Notes
1. nice and moist, ready to set for a few days.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 244 comments
valleycrosser says: Feb 26, 2011. 9:50 AM REPLY
This is cheese. Period. Fromage. Queso. Formaggio. Cheese.
callmeshane says: Dec 9, 2008. 1:45 AM REPLY
Actually this is exactly the same as making tofu, from soya bean curd.
Citric acid - in powder form is cheap - especially in bulk.
Don't know about the casein content of soya bean flour...
Might be an idea to use skim milk powder as the fat free casein might be a better product.
Just curious - not that chemically ofay myself, but one would think that modifying the protein with HEAT and or other chemicals may have been done... just looked
up.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0g9QjxsbqmUC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=casien+plastic+heat+chemical&source=web&ots=u7KLwl6eWg&sig=9V40234r-
SgMztftGpwzPYDrQgI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:SLP_f4OuT7QJ:www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/crystal/resources%2520for%2520teachers/Polymerization%2520-
%2520Christy%2520Boettcher%2520%26.doc+casien+plastic+heat+chemical&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=au
http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/repairs/painting/Paint-Making-Color-Grinding/Part-V-Casein-And-Cold-Water-Paints-Chapter-XXXI-Origin-A.html
http://www.plastics-china.com/Raw_Material.htm
Casein Formaldehyde (Lactoid, Erinoid, Galalith)
Invented at the turn of the century, manufacture was based on fat-free milk to which resin was added to form curds which, when suitably dried, processed and
coloured, could be extruded into rods and made into sheets. The material was then hardened in a bath of formaldehyde from whence it was machined into the
desired end use. The brilliant colours and patterns made casein a leading material for making products such as buttons, buckles, fountain pen, barrels and knitting
needles.
http://museo.cannon.com/museo/inglese/eplasti.htm
# Casein formaldehyde
Casein formaldehyde is a plastic of natural protein origin made from organic substances such as milk, horn or vegetable products such as soy beans, wheat and
the like. It was obtained in 1897 by Adolph Spitteler and W.Kirsche who started out with whey and formaldehyde and tested the action of an enzyme on them. The
patent was registered in Baviera and then extended to the USA, Great Britain and Italy. It should be noted that with its commercial name, Galalith (Galalite in Italy
and Erinoid in Great Britain) it sometimes looked like celluloid, sometimes ivory and sometimes artificial horn. The first factory to manufacture it was in Great Britain
in 1913. In 1930 world-wide production had reached 10,000 tons. Casein formaldehyde was used to make buttons, pins, cigarette-cases, fountain pens, umbrella
handles and radio cabinets.
gtoal says: Jan 5, 2011. 2:11 PM REPLY
Casein-formaldehyde - also known as "French Bakelite" (not to be confused with 'Fake Bakelite' which is becoming a problem in the antiques world...).
Bakelite is an interesting substance too but I think because of the pressure vessel needed, probably not a home project. People interested in this area
should have a look at the Oogoo instructable as well.
drawe21 says: Mar 9, 2009. 9:37 PM REPLY
Formaldehyde causes cancer, same as White lab coats cause cancer in mice...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
roliop says: Nov 16, 2010. 5:21 AM REPLY
As for the vinegary smell, Wikepedia's article on adhesives says:
"The curds are neutralized with a base, such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), to cause them to unclump and become a thicker plastic-like substance."
Could be a useful additional step.
pan9t0n9 says: Feb 15, 2010. 1:36 PM REPLY
Here's a question for anyone who'd tried making this stuff? Will it melt like other plastics? Does tempering work on it?
amackie says: May 26, 2010. 8:43 AM REPLY
wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galalith (if that's what this is) suggests this is a thermoset plastic. So it won't melt.
beehard44 says: Oct 23, 2010. 7:58 AM REPLY
galalith is the output of this (casein) and formaldehyde (formalin)
beehard44 says: Oct 23, 2010. 7:55 AM REPLY
it's CHEEESE!!!
dude i ate it, tastes good (if you used calamondin (kalamansi) or lemons. They make "kesong puti" out of goat milk here in the philippines"
Whales says: Sep 29, 2010. 2:08 PM REPLY
I plan on making a bowl for a zen garden out of this stuff, I will post pictures if i get results.
joezy0 says: Sep 4, 2010. 4:51 PM REPLY
Does this plastic go mouldy?
wisdomm says: Jul 14, 2010. 3:51 PM REPLY
Hi. I wonder about something. This milk plastic, does it shrink while drying? Im trying to find something that could make it possible for me to shrink an object
to get a smaller scale of it, and if the milk plastic is able to shrink some, I could use it. Was wondering if it was possible to mold the item, then pour the milk
plastic into it, then let it sit on the warm bathroom floor to dry. I guess the mold has to have a hole to pour into....which would also let out the moisture while
drying?
connor14 says: Apr 24, 2010. 7:04 PM REPLY
I have done this it really works! great craft
godspiral says: Oct 12, 2009. 10:35 AM REPLY
I tired to make this with left over cappucino foam, but it didn't work at all.
First of all, when you heat milk, it will rise (very rapidly too) at one point. Is that what you call boiling?
Iused 1% (organic) milk. I pored some into hdpe container after it rose. I may have used a foaming whip while it was heating. and did use foaming whip
after I pored into container. Straining it had very little and very thin clumps of goop. Metal strainer instead of coffee filter prob didn't help much. No amount
of reheating and adding more vinegar helped in getting a useful amount of goop.
As I write this, I realize that foaming whip probably broke down the cassein into smaller than metal strainer holes.
Coffeebot says: Oct 12, 2009. 6:21 PM REPLY
No no...the cappuccino foam is steamed milk -- you're adding a lot of water and air to it, which is how the foam is made.
This process needs the milk to be simmering. There will be a little bit of foam at the edge of the pot, but not much. You definitely shouldn't see it
bubbling.
Once you've hit that point, add the vinegar. Follow the steps I've laid out; they work quite well.
And, why are you using hdpe? That's already plastic...petroleum based, and nothing like what we're making here. I'm also a little confused as to how you
got liquid hdpe...I didn't think that was something readily available outside of an industrial facility (nor something you would be handling in the kitchen...)
godspiral says: Oct 14, 2009. 12:51 PM REPLY
it was just a clean hdpe yougurt container, that I transfered the milkto and from via the strainer.
I still don't understand what simmering milk is.
When you Heat milk, it will eventually rise up and thicken, and quicklyoverflow the pot. Simmering must mean the very light bubbling thatoccurs just
before this stage?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
macrumpton says: Apr 15, 2010. 4:54 AM REPLY
FYI If the yogurt container was white plastic it is almost certainly polypropylene (PP) and not high density polyethelene (HDPE).
lycoris3 says: Aug 23, 2008. 9:59 AM REPLY
I just told my dad about this and he said you were basicly making cheese! He's a chief.
Wesley666 says: Feb 15, 2010. 2:09 PM REPLY
Its true, this is Curds and Whey this Instructable is showing you how to make. Curds are used to make cheese (Another process) or can be eaten as
is...This is not plastic...not even close...
Wesley666 says: Feb 15, 2010. 2:22 PM REPLY
To make cheese, once its been strayed, leave it in the cheesecloth and squeeze more liquid out. Add a pinch of salt and mix it into the Curds. Then
squeeze out the rest of the liquid and put it in a mold or leave as a ball and put it in the fridge for a couple hours. I do this once and awhile and its
pretty good...
drawe21 says: Mar 9, 2009. 9:39 PM REPLY
Your dad is right...
princewilliams says: Mar 27, 2009. 1:36 PM REPLY
So is it plastic or cheese
arduinoe says: Apr 25, 2009. 3:00 PM REPLY
cheese you say ... you know , ford KA bumpers and McDonald cheese burgers have the same base ingredients
oracle_fire13 says: Dec 7, 2008. 1:54 AM REPLY
Mr. Coffeebot... we have a project in Chemistry... can you give me a tip because we choose this as our project... ty!
beehard44 says: Oct 23, 2010. 8:00 AM REPLY
use formaldehyde; add it to the curds
wrecche says: Dec 3, 2008. 5:52 PM REPLY
Hahaha your dad is a chief? Chief of what? Now if he was a chef, that would be something - he could cook you dinner! 8]
lycoris3 says: Mar 16, 2010. 12:43 PM REPLY
you know those awesome food magazines with those fancy designs with the food? My dad does that. and ice sculptures. and watermelon
sculptures, chocolate sculptures, and the one-time ice-cream sculpture. really cool.
Wesley666 says: Feb 15, 2010. 2:08 PM REPLY
I see problems with this. If you're just using Milk and Vinegar, then your not making plastic. Your actually making Curds, the solid part, and Whey, the liquid
part. Your "Plastic" is actually very edible substance that is used to make cheese...I'm not sure, but your plastic may go bad/mold if you leave it for awhile, or
gets wet...
dodo91 says: Mar 14, 2009. 9:24 PM REPLY
can you add food coloring to make diffrent color plastic? i want to make this for my little brother, but white would be BORING!
a_traceur says: Nov 7, 2009. 2:45 PM REPLY
You sure can, just add it before you start the cooking process!
Vic Rattlehead says: Nov 3, 2009. 6:15 PM REPLY
if i make it maybe 1/2 inch thick, how brittle would that be, plus does this stuff deteriorate?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
isaac b says: Oct 21, 2009. 9:53 AM REPLY
i hate when they fool people like that
Foaly7 says: Sep 10, 2009. 5:28 PM REPLY
And this is just like commercial-grade plastic?
Coffeebot says: Sep 11, 2009. 8:12 AM REPLY
Not at all. Read the intro for a description of it.
Foaly7 says: Sep 11, 2009. 12:43 PM REPLY
Okay.
i_build_stuff says: Jun 11, 2009. 12:21 PM REPLY
This is pretty cool and i think im going to make a few thin sheets for airsoft myself but im going to use them as targets hopefully if its as brittle as you say it
will shatter nicely.
thefluffball says: Jul 10, 2009. 5:22 AM REPLY
You should use Sugar Glass, heh - it's quicker to make. ;)
Maureclaire says: Mar 10, 2009. 7:34 AM REPLY
Mix in some dryer lint... dryer lint clay is awesome... just Google dryer lint clay ! Strongest stuff ever !
thepelton says: Jun 12, 2009. 12:48 PM REPLY
I should think that you would want natural fibers, not synthetic dryer lint fibers for this, but you could add color and strength to it with dryer lint.
mnkypwr says: Feb 1, 2009. 12:36 PM REPLY
what do u do with the excess liquid? can it be thrown out like any other liquid?
drawe21 says: Mar 9, 2009. 9:32 PM REPLY
Put a coffee filter in your colander and save every bit of the plastic. The rest down the drain.
Coffeebot says: Feb 1, 2009. 7:55 PM REPLY
Yeah, I usually pour it down the sink. It's the super chunky stuff that I think would be bad to let wash down. Once you've strained it a few times to get the
big stuff out, it should be safe to dump. Run the tap for a little while just to make sure everything is washed down. YMMV, of course. I've had no
problems, but you never know.
skooterv2 says: Jan 14, 2009. 1:56 PM REPLY
I play airsoft a lot and I play with some people with guns that hurt pretty bad...and this may sound weird but I was wondering if I made this thick enough do U
think it could withstand some pretty hard blows like from guns shooting at 400+ fps... TYVM
drawe21 says: Mar 9, 2009. 9:29 PM REPLY
Use the Cornstarch, water, and oil plastic its hard and not too brittle
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy_Biodegradable_Plastic/
brandon borick says: Feb 12, 2009. 10:41 PM REPLY
make a thin sheet then cover the back with glue and fabric
Coffeebot says: Jan 14, 2009. 3:47 PM REPLY
It might work, if you make it thick enough. It's pretty brittle in thinner layers, and as such, wouldn't do well as body armor.
As for "making it stronger" (your note below), you could possibly add some fabric, of some sort to strengthen it.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Plastic/
skooterv2 says: Jan 15, 2009. 1:43 PM REPLY
Thank you.I really appreciate u getting back to me so quickly. How would u suggest adding fabric to it? Like just adding it in randomly when molding
or what? Sorry I have no idea about that. Thanks again
Coffeebot says: Jan 15, 2009. 8:08 PM REPLY
Not "randomly" but yes, while you mold it. Probably sandwiching the fabric between two layers of casein would work You'll need something fairly
porous -- much looser than cheesecloth, I think. The reason is because of the thick, chunky consistency of the casein, you'll need a lot of gaps
between threads in order for two sides to join together.
skooterv2 says: Jan 17, 2009. 2:49 PM REPLY
sorry another question if u don't mind. The juice that drains out of the casein and into a large pot, can u stir it and make that into plastic, too?
skooterv2 says: Jan 16, 2009. 5:30 AM REPLY
thank you And one last question if u don't mind. How thick would you recommend making it? Obviously you have more experience with
casein then me. Tyvm again.
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