A Survey of Design Material Development Using Recycled Natural Resources - Focused on Plant Resources

Materials are shaped and formed in countless ways in accordance with the design requirements. Original features of materials have been continuously developed through technical revolution and applying to various design fields based on materials variety while being combined with human being’s creativity. Materials research may produce planned results after following scheduled methods through experimental processes; however, the results are impossible to predict; and sometimes interesting ideas or chances are generated. Accordingly, it is necessary to raise potential for material development through various tests and organized processes, and to reevaluate materials. The purpose of this study is to shed new light on natural materials that have been using for existing product development. Looking natural materials in new ways and adopting new techniques help increasing design applicability. This study focuses on how to apply 3 natural materials including Cyprus, corn husk and sugar cane to the design through material research. The three natural materials are selected after considering the environmental recycling possibility. Selected materials keep weak, intermediate strong and strong solidity each. As a main material for a figured mat, Cyprus has smooth and glossy surface and also has tough and flexible features. The inside of the stem consists of vascular bundles. Because there are empty spaces between tissues, the inside material is soft and comfortable. The corn husks that are thrown away after collecting the corns are leaves that surround the corn ear. Its surface is rough and thick. Since the corn husk is difficult to recycle as food waste, it is usually separated and sent out as residential waste. The sugar cane cultivated to collect the sugar appears commonly in the subtropical or tropical area. Molasses and burgesses that are left after collecting the sugar material from the sugar cane play important role in bio-plastic industry today. This study has been approached as follows: First, material research on selected Cyprus, corn husk and sugar cane was made and how these natural materials are being used in existing products was checked. Second, grinding and weaving capability of selected materials was reviewed. Also, samples were prepared in each process. To evaluate ‘grinding capability’, each material was grinded and prepared as pure paperboards, natural rubber latex-combined boards and silicon-combined boards. Then, the surface solidity was compared. In case of ‘weaving capability’, each material was fabricated through reeling process and then the surface solidity was compared. Third, the study results were applied to actual product making to seek for design applicability. According to the results, sugar cane showed the highest viscosity; Cyprus and corn husk followed in order. In case of surface strength after weaving process, sugar cane marked the best performance; Cyprus and corn husk followed in order as well. This research has significance in reconsidering natural materials’ various applicability that are ignored due to the familiarity of existing products; seeking for design development potential; increasing material application value; and enlarging design development range. In addition, it is expected that a new consumer market using new natural materials will appear.