Preparation and Characterization of Mycelium as a Bio-Matrix in Fabrication of Bio-Composite

Abstract

The objective of this work is to access the possibility of mycelium as a new reinforcement and inexpensive bio-matrix in production of bio-composite board. In this study, mycelium has been obtained from different substrate, inoculation time, and heating time processing. Various properties of the mycelium bio-matrix, either chemical or physical, were measured using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Light Microscopy, and flexural strength test. The structural analysis of the samples indicates that the chitin content in the mycelium increases as inoculated with either cellulosic substrate or starch substrates, but with prolonged inoculation time. The TGA and DSC thermograms reveal that the thermal stability and glass transition (Tg) temperature are improved with prolonged inoculation time. The morphological observations confirm the presence of mycelium networks which can be used as a potential bio-matrix in bio-composites. The mechanical properties of the samples, at pressing times of 20 and 40 min, show an enhanced flexural strength of mycelium bio-composite board from 1.82 MPa to 3.91 MPa.