Sustastic Effects Bioyarn

Effect yarns are unconventional, designed to add visual or tactile interest to textiles. They can take many forms, such as glittery, color-gradient, fluffy, or other imaginative variations, offering endless possibilities for creative expression.

While effect yarns make it easy to create extraordinary textiles, a large portion of those used in knitted fabrics are made from non-renewable, petroleum-based derivatives that cause harm to the ecosystem. Composed of non-biodegradable materials (most often acrylic or polyester), they contribute to environmental pollution by contaminating soil and water. This contamination poses significant risks to both wildlife and human health, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable alternatives.

Sustastic Effects yarns are alginate based, which substance is extracted from brown algae. Algae are a fast-growing, renewable resource that require minimal freshwater and no arable land, making them an eco-friendly alternative to traditional raw materials. During growth, algae naturally absorb CO₂, helping to combat climate change while reducing the environmental impact of production. They clean the ocean, just like trees clean the air. When processed into bioplastic yarns, algae offer a biodegradable, non-toxic solution that can replace petroleum-based fibers like acrylic and polyester. This innovative material not only reduces pollution in soil and water but also contributes to a circular economy by minimizing waste and promoting sustainable practices in the textile industry. By harnessing the potential of algae, we can craft yarns that are as sustainable for the planet as they are versatile and creative.

Making the recipe the alginate yarn open-source offers a range of impactful benefits, both for the environment and the creative community. By sharing the process freely, I would like to encourage innovators, designers, and researchers worldwide to experiment with and adapt the recipe, fostering collaboration and driving advancements in sustainable materials. (Just as I adapted and improved an open-source recipe by Loes Bogers according to my needs.) This openness democratizes access to eco-friendly technology, encouraging widespread adoption and application while reducing reliance on petroleum-based fibers. By sharing the recipe, I hope to inspire collective action and create a ripple effect of positive change, proving that sustainability thrives when knowledge is shared.

The aim of the Sustastic Effects yarns is to create an alternative for petroleum based-effect yarns as DIY yarns or ultimately for textile industry. To achieve this, we would require a material that is both in quality and texture meets our needs. Alginate based bioyarns are not in the phase that they could do so or their know-how is not shared, limiting the inclusion of the community for recreation and distribution, thus the contribution to a sustainable economy and system.

The development took several phases:

Phase 1: Designing the yarns and developing them into effect yarns

Colour effects are achieved using natural pigmenst: spices, broths made from kitchen waste, vegetable powders, and algae. Texture effects are created by adding natural materials like mica or poppy seeds, or through physical reshaping, resulting in visually striking and unique yarns.

Phase 2: Enhancing color fastness

Since the previous colors were fully natural, they tended to degrade and fade quickly due to UV light exposure. To achieve long-lasting colors, we replaced the previously used color pigments with naturally derived pigments combined with man-made additives: earth and mineral pigments. We realized that for a product to be truly sustainable, it must be both durable and non-toxic. To achieve both qualities and create the most efficient product in these areas, we recognized the need to strike a balance between natural and synthetic.

Phase 3: Improving water-resistant qualities

Open-source bioplastic recipes often use glycerin as a plasticizer; however, this ingredient is water-soluble by nature, which makes the final bioyarns difficult to clean without significantly compromising their durability. Glycerin dissolves when exposed to water, leaving the material without the element that provides flexibility, resulting in a brittle yarn after drying. Using a hydrophobic plasticizer instead of a hydrophilic one can improve durability and allow for wider usage of the yarns. A great alternative, for example, is natural latex, which has exceptionally high elastic properties.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQwB2rDx-BM&t=53s

Ingredients:

Alginate paste:

1. Sodium-alginate powder - 6 g
2. Latex - 6 ml
3. Water - 200 ml
4. Sunflower oil - 5 ml
5. optional: pigments: mica powder or vegetable powder
6. optional: effects: mica glitter

Curing solution:

1. 30g CaCl₂
2. 300 ml water

Tools:

1. Scale
2. plates/petri disehes, spoons for measuring
3. 2 jars or bowls for the cacl2 bath and water
4. 1 jar/bottle for drying
5. robot whisk
6. 2 small syringes for measuring
7. 1 syringe for extruding

Measure your ingredients.

Pour the the ingredients into a jar/bowl in the following order.

1. Water
2. Oil
3. Alginate

Mix the ingredients with a robot whisk until you get a smooth and even mixture.

Add the latex and continue mixing.

Add the mica pigments and effects (mica glitter or anything that fits through your syringe tip). The amount depends on your desired color saturation and effect amount. (However the more effect you use the weaker your filament gets.)

You can use vegetable powder or algae as colorants, however their colors will fade sooner.

Mix again and your yarn paste is ready!

Make a 10% CaCl₂ solution by dissolving calcium chloride in water.

Fill your syringe with the alginate paste. Place the syringe into the solution in an angle (~45°) and start the extrusion immediately. Extrude the paste into the CaCl₂ solution with an even force. Leave the filament in the solution for a few second or minutes (it varies based on your alginate, some works faster and some might even take 30 minutes, experiment)

Rinse the filament in a bowl of water to get rid of the excess curing solution.

Wrap the filament around a jar or bottle. Leave it to dry (it can take from a couple of hours to a couple of days depending on the thickness of your filaments.)

1. Different kind of effects and colors could be used
2. Color gradients by filling the syringe with more colors in a row
3. Size transition by pulling the yarn from time to time while extruding