In this study, novel blends of mycelium biocomposites (MB) were developed. Various combinations of birch sawdust and hemp shives with birch bark (BB) and wheat bran (WB) additives were inoculated with basidiomycete Trametes versicolor to produce self-growing biomaterials. MB were characterized according to mycelial biomass increment in final samples, changes in chemical composition, elemental (C, H, N) analyses, granulometry of substrates, water-related and mechanical properties, as well as mold resistance and biodegradability. The mycelial biomass in manufactured MB increased by ~100% and ~50% in hemp and sawdust substrates, respectively. The lignocellulose ingredients during fungal growth were degraded as follows: cellulose up to 7% and 28% in sawdust and hemp substrates, respectively, and lignin in the range of 13% in both substrates. A larger granulometric fraction in hemp MB ensured higher strength property but weakened water absorption (600–880%) performance. Perspective MB combinations regarding strength performance were hemp/BB and pure hemp MB (σ10 0.19–0.20 MPa; E 2.9 MPa), as well as sawdust/WB combination (σ10 0.23 MPa; E 2.9 MPa). WB positively affected fungal biomass yield, but elevated water absorption ability. WB improved compressive strength in the sawdust samples but decreased it in the hemp samples. BB supplement reduced water absorption by more than 100% and increased the density of sawdust and hemp samples. All MB samples were susceptible to mold contamination after full water immersion, with identified fungal genera Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Achremonium. The MB exhibited high biodegradability after 12 weeks’ exposure in compost, and are therefore competitive with non-biodegradable synthetic foam materials.
Plastic waste is an ever-growing concern, causing harm to many ecological and human health aspects, one of the major contributors to this problem being packaging. Mycelium composites (MC) are ecologically safe materials, well suited for the short-life usage as packaging materials. In our study we made MC using fine and coarse granulometry hemp shives applying them in 3 substrate variants – with added bran, with added bran and birch bark, and as the sole substrate. We assessed material's water absorption and mechanical properties, chemical decomposition, biodegradability, mold resistance and fungal biomass. Granulometric effect was observed only when using shives as the sole substrate, where larger particle size gave poorer results. Bran did not significantly improve mechanical properties or water uptake. Bark reduced water uptake by ~200 %, but lowered mechanical properties, and provided no benefits to mold resistance which was low for all specimens. Overall, hemp MC showed complete biodegradability after 12 weeks, mechanical properties up to 0,235 MPa, compatible with expanded polystyrene, but very high water uptake of up to 1000 %. Future studies are needed to reduce water absorption and improve mold resistance, as well as invent consensus methodology for better cross-study comparison.
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