EGG-SHIELD, Mat-Wise

Mat-Wise is Sofía Perales, an industrial and material designer who firmly believes that true change is done through knowledge and design. Her work is based on research and experimentation of waste and residues for the creation of new materials. One of her ongoing projects is Egg-Shield, started as a student at Elisava, as part of her Master’s Degree in Design through New Materials.

The first step saw Sofía engaged in a research-through-design (RtD) process: at first she experimented with a syringe and the strength of her body and after several tests and prototypes, she was able to create a coherent hollow cylinder with a 3D printer. The results of her experiments helped her understand the behavior and possibilities of the material.

c

c

After realizing the amazing properties the material had to offer, Sofía decided to continue experimenting. As she writes: “This was the beginning of my journey as a material designer, working with eggshell”.

Egg-Shield looks at the potential of using eggshells as a component for a concrete-like material. A clear example of how waste can be used as a resource. The material is a cement-like paste, slimy and wet, which follow any mold surface. When it dries, it becomes rigid providing consistency and unique textures. Since the bio-cement has similar properties to natural limestone (cement main asset), she did some tests: “Material characterization is crucial to understand its behavior under certain stresses within its environment and its user. The aim is to subject the material to certain tests and therefore, an application approach might emerge“. Click here to see a series of video documenting her material characterization tests.

The material is made of natural wastes, therefore it can be degraded naturally in water. This DOES NOT mean it is compostable. It has the potential to be produced on an industrial scale, as the process can be summarized in 5 main steps that already exists in industry processes: grinding, heating, shaping, cooling, drying. Anyways, as Sofía writes on her website, “It should be noted that further research is needed regarding its degradation under certain conditions... I encourage you to further investigate its behavior if this is planned to have a real industrial application.”

Egg-Shield is officially a part of the Green Concept Award Pre-Selection 2021. Visit Mat-Wise to know more about Sofía Perales’ projects and follow her on Instagram!

Click here if you want to see more material design projects

c

c

Back to Top