SBIR Phase I: Using Mycelium As A Matrix For Binding Natural Fibers And Core Filler Materials In Sustainable Composites

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在解决稳定增长但不可持续的聚合物基质复合材料（PMC）市场。与传统的工程材料相比，PMC因其高强度重量比和刚度重量比而被利用，但众所周知是不可持续的，制造能源密集型的，并且不可回收。 研究人员已经研究了用石油基聚合物和生物聚合物（例如纤维素塑料）封装天然纤维，以产生具有不同程度的实验和商业成功的更具生物相容性的复合材料，但所有尝试仍然没有达到理想的“生物复合材料”。在这个项目中，我们将创造和表征一种全新的生物复合材料。其基本思想是使用菌丝体作为基质，将天然纤维和核心填充材料结合在一起，形成可持续的复合材料部件。 首先，随着时间的推移，芯散装材料通过菌丝体生长到常见的散装农业废物（如棉花壳）中和周围而结合在一起。 然后，由天然纤维制成的增强层（例如，将接种有真菌细胞的菌丝体复合材料（例如，大麻）施加到芯面，使其渗透层压材料并结合到芯材料上，然后加热以抑制生长过程，从而制成弹性复合夹层结构。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括菌丝体复合材料的开发，所述菌丝体复合材料可定制用于广泛的市场，包括但不限于汽车，运输，建筑、生物医学、体育和娱乐。这些材料是真正可持续的，因为层压板和芯都由可再生材料组成。 这些复合材料也将需要比其他生物相容性复合材料少得多的能量来制造，因为材料是生长而不是合成的，并且材料在寿命结束时完全可堆肥。拟议的研究和开发的结果将是对如何制造复合材料、可获得的材料性能范围以及如何针对特定市场调整材料性能的基本理解。通过这个项目，我们将与当地两所大学的研究人员和学生合作，他们在复合材料制造和测试方面具有已知的专业知识。如果菌丝体复合材料取得成功，这些材料将在一个非常高利润的市场（即复合材料）中找到应用，该市场迫切需要更多的可持续创新。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to address the steadily growing but unsustainable polymer matrix composite (PMC) market. PMCs are leveraged for their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios as compared to conventional engineering materials, but are notoriously unsustainable, energy-intensive to manufacture, and non-recyclable. Researchers have investigated encapsulating natural fibers with both petroleum-based polymers and biopolymers (e.g. cellulosic plastic) to produce more biocompatible composites with varying degrees of experimental and commercial success, but all attempts have still fallen short of an ideal "bio-composite". In this project, we will create and characterize an entirely new bio-composite material. The basic idea is to use mycelium as a matrix for binding natural fibers and core filler materials together in sustainable composite parts. First, the core bulk material is bound together over time by mycelium growing into and around common bulk agricultural waste such as cotton hulls. Then, reinforcing layers made from natural fibers (e.g., hemp) inoculated with fungal cells are applied to the core faces, allowed to infiltrate the laminate and bind to the core material, and then heated to inactivate the growth process to make a resilient composite sandwich structure.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project encompasses the development of mycelium composite materials that are customizable for a broad range of markets including, but not limited to, automotive, transportation, architectural, biomedical, sports, and recreation. These materials are truly sustainable since both the laminates and cores consist of renewable materials. These composites will also require significantly less energy to make than other biocompatible composites because the material is grown instead of synthesized, and the material is completely compostable at the end of life. The outcome of the proposed research and development will be a basic understanding of how to manufacture the composites, the range of material properties obtainable, and how to adjust material properties for particular markets. Through this project, we will partner with researchers and students at two local universities with known expertise in composites manufacturing and testing. If successful with mycelium composites, these materials will find applications in a very high-margin market (i.e. composites) that is sorely needing more sustainable innovations.