Intermedia students are creating art with nanocellulose – UMaine News – University of Maine

Editor’s notice: Intermedia college students’ nanocellulose artwork can be on public show on Aug. 24 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. on the Wells Convention Heart.

Nanocellulose is a malleable materials. In a mix that’s 97% water, nanocellulose appears to be like like yogurt or paste. When freeze-dried, it has the consistency of Styrofoam. Totally dried, it’s like a plastic tile. 

The College of Maine is on the chopping fringe of growing and utilizing nanocellulose for scientific functions on the Course of Improvement Heart. Now, because of a partnership with Intermedia Packages, UMaine is forging a brand new frontier of utilizing nanocellulose in artwork.

Graduate college students in Intermedia Packages have partnered with the Course of Improvement Heart to make use of nanocellulose as materials for artwork and inventive tasks. The collaboration not solely offers artists a unhazardous and modern materials to experiment with — one which may be utilized by much more artists sooner or later — but in addition could assist scientists study extra about this cutting-edge materials.

Colleen Walker, director of the Course of Improvement Heart, says it began when artists started calling her lab asking if they may purchase nanocellulose. It wasn’t a rare ask; the middle commonly distributes samples like this for analysis functions. Walker says that due to its manufacturing capabilities, the ability is without doubt one of the solely ones on the planet that distributes nanocellulose by the pound (normally at a fee of $75 for a pound’s value in a 5-gallon bucket).

“There are corporations on the business facet that promote know-how so organizations can produce their very own materials. This, nevertheless, is a multimillion greenback funding,” Walker says. “We bridge that hole. We usually make 300 kilos of dry materials in a batch, however will be capable to produce two to 4 tons a day with our new system.”

Nonetheless, Walker began noticing a sample of artists asking for nanocellulose. Even the analysis supervisor on the Course of Improvement Heart, Donna Johnson, had experimented with the fabric in her personal inventive pursuits in jewellery, material artwork and dyes.

Then, one fateful day, in walked Augusta Sparks Farnum, a graduate pupil in Intermedia Research, searching for nanocellulose to make use of in her assignments. 

Farnum had been making artwork for many years earlier than she joined the Intermedia Research program, however mentioned she had not too long ago felt jaded concerning the artwork world, particularly the shortage of sustainability of artwork supplies and practices. When she realized about nanocellulose in all its biodegradable, unhazardous glory, she snapped out of that feeling.

“I may make one thing and if it didn’t work and as an alternative of hauling it round for the remainder of my life I may put it again within the forest and it could decompose,” Farnum says. “Coming from the artwork world, that’s not true of most issues. You’re coping with plastics and chemical substances. Nanocellulose is an excellent reward.”

As a substitute of merely sending Farnum on her approach along with her bucket of nanocellulose, Walker began asking questions on utilizing nanocellulose in artwork — and the way the Course of Improvement Heart may proceed to assist the partnership develop.

Quickly, the Intermedia division was rustling with talks of this new materials. Across the identical time, College of Forest Assets professor Aaron Weiskittel had featured nanocellulose in a presentation he made for sophistication in this system.

“I feel what actually drew us to it was the concept of the historical past of Maine and its hyperlink to forestry,” says Susan Smith, director of Intermedia Packages at UMaine. “We nonetheless have this large potential for a inexperienced economic system for forest merchandise. The concept of chance was actually what attracted us, in addition to the truth that it was a model new materials. Artists naturally wish to play with supplies and experiment.”

Smith formalized the partnership between the Intermedia Program and the Course of Improvement Heart, which donated buckets of nanocellulose to the artists to make use of. Smith thinks that the Intermedia Program is the right place for such experimentation, as its mission is to pursue “research-based artwork.”

“The main target has actually been on shifting out of our silos and dealing collaboratively throughout campus,” Smith says. “Usually the function of artwork is to visualise science, however that may be reciprocal. We will study from one another. If we’re going to resolve issues we’re going to need to work collectively. It’s nice that individuals now have been open to these collaborations.”

Smith coordinated a tour of the Course of Improvement Heart for Intermedia college students with a purpose to study extra about nanocellulose from the scientists who’re finding out it, like these UMaine researchers who’re creating recyclable meals containers from the fabric.

The artists had been enthralled — and couldn’t wait to get their arms on some nanocellulose for their very own artistic tasks. 

“This offers a chance for artwork that’s sustainable, but in addition native,” Smith says. “Our dependence on unsustainable processes should change, and with this analysis, we’re in a position to help the Course of Improvement Heart analysis, but in addition suppose by way of improvements with our personal processes.”

The Course of Improvement Heart donated buckets of nanocellulose to the artists, who all had completely different concepts of what they’d use it for. Smith says that she makes use of it as a unhazardous binder for pure pigment for her printmaking, which is preferable to people who are petroleum-based or made from acrylic polymers. Farnum experiments with cellulose armatures. Utilizing instruments of her artwork follow, she utilized paint, in addition to silver, gold and aluminum leaf. Furthering the fabric’s innate luminosity, she has been including a bi-product of seaweed to the nanocellulose which dries into ethereal shapes that catch the sunshine just-so when held on the wall. 

“If you happen to have a look at it carefully, the nanocellulose appears to be like like pores and skin or bone,” Farnum marvels. “We have now this collaborative relationship. Typically it says, ‘Oh, you thought I used to be completed drying? Effectively, I’m not, and now I’m going to do that.’ I’m nonetheless within the experimenting stage.”

Alex Rose, one other intermedia graduate pupil, has been utilizing nanocellulose as a coating for textiles and fibers. The dried nanocellulose offers recycled T-shirt strips a way of gravity, and makes naturally-dyed materials look foggy and contorts it right into a crispy wafer.

“It’s actually attention-grabbing as a result of it’s very mysterious in how the tip product can be,” Rose says. “There’s a way of childlike shock. It’s form of stepping again all through the method and seeing what the fabric is saying it needs to do. It seems like a discovery each time you attempt one thing new.”

The artists have been in a position to study issues about nanocellulose that they will share with the researchers, too. For instance, although nanocellulose itself doesn’t mildew by itself, whether it is contaminated in any approach, mildew can develop. Farnum realized this firsthand when experimenting with the fabric in a barn at her home with a black mildew infestation.

“An artist is a researcher with a unique algorithm,” Farnum laughs.

The artists will show their works on the PDC Cellulose Nanomaterials Discussion board Aug. 23–25. Walker sees this as a possible debut for utilizing nanocellulose in artwork extra broadly. 

“We hope that sooner or later quickly Maine can be offering this materials to artists all all over the world,” Walker says. “This collaboration is a wonderful solution to broaden the analysis group working with this distinctive materials.”

As for the artists — whether or not they’re sculpting, experimenting with dyes or mixing media — their exploration with nanocellulose has simply begun.

“I’m so in it,” Farnum says. “I’m excited concerning the alternative to indicate the work on the finish of the summer season, however come on — I want 5 extra years! The work retains altering. Simply final evening I used to be researching new recipes and processes. Plenty of them fail and a number of them present me one thing else. I’ve so many extra instructions I wish to go along with it. That is only the start.”

Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu