| Natural materials have sustained and nurtured human lives for millions of years. Yet, the study of natural material properties and the application of natural materials at a commercial level is a controversial topic in the 21st century. It is important to address this subject with proper science rather than resorting to bias and rhetoric as any negligence of this important subject would be tremendous implications for the coming generations. At present, there are over 4000 'man-made' chemicals that are present in our daily products. Yet, practically all of them are known to be harmful in the long run. This is in stark contrast to what has been found about any natural product that is perfectly in harmony with nature. It is important to recognize the potential of natural products and the necessity to re-think the currently used mass-production schemes of synthetic materials.;Theoretical investigation as well as limited numerical modeling was undertaken. They both confirm the superiority and long-term, sustainability of natural materials. However, current numerical models were found to be inadequate for modeling natural materials.;This line of studies that highlights the potential of natural materials has been missing since the industrial revolution. With increasing awareness of environmental impacts and damage to the ecosystem due to the use of artificial chemicals, one will have to return to nature. This study is a first step toward establishing the fact, known for millennia by old civilizations but forgotten in the modern age, that: Nature is perfect.;In this study, a series of naturally existing materials are studied to evaluate their properties and possible applications. Materials studied in the first part include cotton, sawdust, tree leaves, human hair and sheep wool. They were studied in order to determine their applicability as insulation materials. It is found that cotton has the maximum value of thermal diffusivity, with leaves ranking the second and sawdust following as the third. Materials studied in the second part include chicken bone, honey, lemon extract and egg yolk. They were studied to determine their applicability as natural glue. Various combinations of these materials were studied to determine stickiness, strength, and durability. Combinations of materials include chicken bone (25gr), melted sugar (7.5gr), lemon extract (5gr) and egg yolk (12.5gr) has the highest capacity in order to be used as natural glue. Materials studied in the third part include milk paint, olive oil and egg yolk. The main idea behind this experiment was to expand the application of milk paint to metal. The combination of milk paint and olive oil shows great potential at this point. However, further research is needed in order to optimize the composition of this paint. |
