High performance of macrofungi in the production of mycelium-based biofoams using sawdust — Sustainable technology for waste reduction
2019
Bruscato, Cláudia | Malvessi, Eloane | Brandalise, Rosmary Nichele | Camassola, Marli
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a synthetic polymer that is widely applicable in the fields of food packaging, equipment protection and civil construction. Aiming to replace EPS, biofoams were developed utilizing mycelia of the macrofungi Pycnoporus sanguineus, Pleurotus albidus and Lentinus velutinus in a medium formulated with sawdust and wheat bran. Sample characterization was obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy with Fourier Transform; density and compression strength were analysed as mechanical properties. The main results include that the compression strengths of biofoams from P. sanguineus, P. albidus and L. velutinus were 1.3, 0.4, and 1.3 MPa, respectively, which exceed that of EPS (0.4 MPa). The thermal stability of the biofoams was lower than that of EPS; however, they were stable up to 350 °C. Biofoams are denser than EPS, with values of 0.3 and 0.03 g cm−3, respectively. The data obtained for biofoams categorize this material as sustainable substitute for EPS in some applications, while at the same time, reducing the environmental impact caused by sawdust and EPS.
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