Calcium alginate

Calgina Bodysuit

Calgina is a microencapsulated biomaterial that helps to maintain body hydration, promoting skin cell regeneration and healing.

This rubber-like material is flexible, smooth, transparent, water-resistant and has good thermal properties. Resistive to high temperatures, this calcium alginate-based material could be used as a flame retardant surface. Additionally, it is fully bio-based, biodegradable and uses a soft chemistry process with very low energy consumption.

Derived from brown seaweed, calcium alginate is a chemical substance used in the medical industry to create bandages for activating tissue repair. Phycocyanin, the main active compound in spirulina was used for its natural blue colour and its powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties. Other natural compounds were added such as tea tree or patchouli essential oils, to boost the immune system and amplify the relaxing properties of the material.

Making process

This calcium alginate-based material uses a soft chemistry (chimie douce) fabrication process, meaning that it polymerises at ambient temperature without any source of heat. A chemical reaction is similar to those occurring in natural biological systems. This sol-gel process (method for producing solid materials from small molecules) is divided into six steps: hydrolysis, polymerisation, gelation, drying, dehydration and densification. The jellification of the material forms when the sodium alginate polymer enters into contact with calcium chloride. The ions calcium replaces the ions sodium and cross-link the alginate polymer network. During this procedure, it is possible to encapsulate natural compounds such as essential oils or nanoparticles to add functionalities to the material.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.