Transformation of corn leaves Recycling corn leaves into fabric by zexi gong |
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| DESIGN NAME: Transformation of corn leaves PRIMARY FUNCTION: Recycling corn leaves into fabric INSPIRATION: The project was inspired by the discovery of large quantities of corn leaves being discarded in the market. Research revealed that the current application of corn leaves is limited to manual crafting, with low recycling efficiency. Upon further investigation, it was found that corn leaves contain abundant fibers suitable for fabric production. Drawing inspiration from papermaking techniques, corn leaves were transformed into a fabric that retains their texture. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The corn leaf reuse project successfully developed a fabric with the texture of corn leaves by refining fibers from corn leaves and experimenting with combining them with other bio-adhesives. Ultimately, this fabric was applied to redesign traditional straw hats, creating a series of new material hats. These hats give urban residents more opportunities to connect with natural materials, conveying the importance of developing raw materials for sustainable development to the public. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The output of this project is a series of cornleaf hats, primarily in casual styles. In terms of visual effects, future iterations involve extracting fibers from different varieties of corn leaves to experiment with creating various effects of corn leaf fabric. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in July 2022 and was completed in January 2023 in Guangdong. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: From my research, I discovered that strong fibers can be extracted from corn leaves. These fibers can be mixed with cotton and tree bark to create raw materials for fabric production. Then, by drawing inspiration from the papermaking process, I transformed the corn fibers into a fabric that retains the texture of corn leaves. Finally, I used this fabric to create a series of hats made from corn leaves. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: - TAGS: Corn leaf transformation, sustainable design, disrupting tradition, biodegradability, large-scale production, fashion. RESEARCH ABSTRACT: This project aims to explore the development of corn leaf materials. After conducting chemical decomposition tests on corn leaves, a significant amount of fiber suitable for fabric production was discovered. Following the fiber extraction, experiments were conducted to select the appropriate bio-adhesive. After extensive material experimentation, cotton and wood pulp were chosen as the bio-adhesives due to their strong bonding capabilities and rapid biodegradation, making them environmentally friendly. The manufacturing process of this fabric is simple and suitable for large-scale production. Utilizing natural materials for product manufacturing can effectively convey sustainable design concepts to the public. CHALLENGE: In the initial stages of the project, the research focused on conducting simple physical experiments on corn leaves, such as grinding and pulverizing, to utilize them as fillers for product manufacturing. However, this approach proved unfruitful because of the prevalence of similar products already on the market. Consequently, I began to delve deeper into the composition of corn leaves. I discovered that they contained a significant amount of fiber, meeting the basic requirements for fabric production. Subsequently, I gradually experimented with extracting fiber from corn leaves and combining it with other natural materials to create corn leaf fabric. ADDED DATE: 2024-02-15 21:42:06 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : IMAGE CREDITS: zexi gong, 2023. |
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| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Transformation of Corn Leaves Recycling Corn Leaves Into Fabric by Zexi Gong is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Category, 2023 - 2024.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with zexi gong. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by zexi gong. |
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