Designing, Fabrication and Physicomechanical Characterization of Pine Needle and Sawdust Reinforced Wheat Straw-Pleurotus Ostreatus Biocomposi

Abstract

Completely degradable biocomposite is a material that is composed of two or more fully biodegradable distinct materials which are brought together to form a new material with improved properties over all the constituents. The objective of the study was to develop a proof of concept of reinforcing mycelium-based composite with pine needles and sawdust thereby improving its mechanical properties. In this study Pleurotus ostreatus was used for the formation of biocomposite as its mycelial network is dense and strong enough to bind, and firmly holds the substrate together. P. ostreatus were inoculated in a mixture containing varying proportions of Substrate- Wheat straw[WS], Filler material-sawdust[SD] and reinforcement-Pine needle[PN], and allowed to grow at 25°C in complete darkness for a period of 15 days, resulted in formation of a three-dimensional mycelium network that effectively binds all three components. To eliminate chances of further growth in the final composite, all living mycelia is terminated by heat killing which also reduces moisture content drastically, effectively increasing shelf life of this mycelium based biocomposite.Environmental and technological application of this sustainable material can be achieved by utilising this biocomposite as a cushion-providing internal packaging material, alternative cattle feed, fuel blocks for domestic usage and organic fertilisers in crop fields.