MYCELIUM BIOFOAM FORMATION FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE FOR SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE APPLICATION

Abstract

The lignocellulose origin present in agricultural waste causes one of the crucial environmental pollutant management problems which, due to the large content of carbon source value, represent a nutritional feedstock for the production of mycelium fiber by growth of fungus. The applicational aspect of higher species of fungi to recycle major agricultural wastes into more eco- sustainable and value-added products and to lead the transition to a circular economical marketing. The features of this work focus on the key aspects influencing the characteristics and applications of myocomposites and the feedstock, the Pleurotus ostreatus species and its growth kinetic behavior on the agricultural waste materials. During customized solid-state incubated cultivation on the various agricultural bio-substrates, the Pleurotus ostreatus colonize their outer surface as well as inner void spaces and form a 3-dimensional intact mycelium net. This research work elucidates that their microlevel morphology, hydrophobicity, compressive and rigidity strength, as well as their moisture- and water-retention properties can be manipulated by varying types of bio-substrate compositions (Sugarcane bagasse (Sb), Coire (C), Sawdust (Sd), Sugarcane bagasse+Coire (Sb+C), Sugarcane bagasse+Sawdust (Sb+Sd), Sawdust+Coire (Sd+C), and Sugarcane bagasse+Coire+Sawdust (Sb+C+Sd)), fungal species (Pleurotus ostreatus ) and processing technique (hot air oven drying). Here I used Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium bonding different composition of bio-substrates to prepare mycelium biofoams, and physio-mechanical characteristics as well as microlevel bonding pattern of the mycelium-bio-foams were administered. It was recorded that quantity of inoculum had an important roleplay on the performance of mycelium-bio-foams formation, and inoculum of 3.8 5% was considered as the optimal inoculum quantity. It was found that the growth rate of the mycelium in Sb was the highest data of 0.616 cm/day out of all bio-substrates. But in case of compressibility, the mixed bio-substrate showed the high compressive strength of 6.21 MPa followed by Sb and Sb+C. Due to potential hydrophobicity nature of mycelium fiber, it absorbs the low moisture from the near circumstance. This property was deciphered by contact angle measurement and Sd+C was the highest hydrophobic at the value of 121 ° ± 1.124 °. Apart from all these tests, the functional groups like C-H, C-O-H, C-O, C-C and O-H, etc. of bio-foams were also detected by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Therefore, this research experiment determines the identify technical knowledge gaps and the existing data values. This comparison is valuable for designing the framework of application-based bio-foams formation.