rapsea

Summary

This project explores how a byproduct of oil production, can be transformed into a biodegradable material through hands-on experimentation. By tinkering with the material, I developed a functional bread clip, a small, everyday object with a short life span but long-term environmental impact. The result is a material-driven design that reimagines agricultural waste as a purposeful, circular product.

Duration

2 weeks

2024

Year

Individual project

Role

Material Driven Design

Focus Area

Circular Design

Process Overview

Rapeseed cake is a byproduct left after pressing oil from rapeseed. While it is commonly used as animal feed, much of it is wasted due to its bitter taste and antinutritional properties. At Gunnarshögs Gård, a Swedish rapeseed oil producer, large volumes of nutrient-rich rapeseed cake are produced.

Problem

How might we transform waste from rapeseed oil production into a biomaterial that replaces unsustainable conventional materials?

Opportunity

This project began as a group exploration into biomaterials. After the group phase ended, I took on the full process of designing bread clips and exploring their potential in sustainable design. I also developed a natural adhesive from the material through further testing.

My role

Material Exploration

Material samples from the tinkering phase

We experimented with different recipes by mixing rapeseed cake with water and testing various additives like vinegar, mussel shells, coffee chaff, and limestone powder.

Each mix was shaped and dried to observe changes in stability, surface quality, and flexibility.

As our technique improved, we found that the sample with mussel shells had the lowest breakage and the most consistent surface. Their fine texture seemed to help bind the material more evenly.

Material properties

To learn more about the material properties we did some technical tests that showed the following:

Water: Small drops of water are absorbed but the material is fully soluble when left in water

Lemon juice: bleaches the surface of the material

Fire: flame resistance, the surface chars but the material doesn’t burn or catch fire

Highlights from the technical tests

User testing

Using the Ma24 Toolkit, we conducted 20 user tests on our material exploring the performative, sensorial, affective and interpretive level. The MA24 Toolkit is a design research method that helps uncover how people perceive and interact with materials. 

Quotes from user tests

Most participants described the material as surprising, soft, and natural. While the texture was generally perceived as pleasant, the smell and dark color were seen as slightly off-putting. Overall, the material triggered both curiosity and nostalgia, making it a memorable and engaging sensory experience.

Final Material

Based on insights from both user and technical testing, we continued refining the material to improve surface texture and reduce its natural smell.

The final process after mixing:

  • - Press in hydraulic press.

    - Dry in dehydrator.

    - Press in sandwich grill.

These steps helped smooth the surface, remove air bubbles that made the material fragile, and reduce the smell, making it ready for real product application.

Picture of final material sample

Design application

I applied RAPSEA to a common disposable object: the bread clip. Bread clips are mass-produced, easily lost, and rarely recycled, an example of an object with a short lifecycle but lasting environmental impact, while its biodegradability and limited water resistance matched the short-term nature of the product.

Picture showing the clip sliding out
Sketches of closing mechanisms

I sketched different shapes that could enable easy latching and detaching. I then modeled the clips in clay and tested them by measuring how long it took to open and close the bag, observing hand position during use, and turning the bag upside down to simulate handling in grocery store conditions.

Clay prototypes of different bread clips

The chosen clip design enabled quick latching and smooth removal. It accommodated various hand grips and allowed for intuitive, flexible interaction.

Testing different hand grips

Other Applications

After repeatedly scrubbing the kitchenware used during material production, I noticed an unexpected added characteristic - it behaved like an adhesive.

After boiling rapeseed powder in water, I strained the mixture through a cloth, separating the adhesive liquid from the coarse pulp. As it dried, the liquid thickened into a yellow paste with tacky, glue-like properties.
When applied to paper, it bonded the surfaces effectively, acting as a biodegradable alternative to synthetic glue.