KR20230163128A - Maufacuring process for leather analogue sheet using fungal mycelium and leather analogue sheet manufactured by the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, in the method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium, a subculture step of subculturing mushroom fungi using potato agar medium (PDA), and inoculating the subcultured mycelium into a nutrient source filled in a bottle. A bottle medium production step of producing a bottle medium, a biomass production step of producing biomass using the bottle medium mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step, and cultivating a biofilm on the upper surface while the mycelium proliferates in the biomass. A method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium can be provided, including a biofilm culturing step and a biofilm separation step of physically separating the biofilm, which is a pure mycelium mass, from biomass.

Description

Process for manufacturing leather-like sheets using mushroom mycelium and leather-like sheets manufactured using the same

The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium and a leather-like sheet manufactured using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process method for producing a leather substitute material similar to leather using mushroom mycelium.

The animal leather production process has the problem of high cost and long production period because it is manufactured through complex processes such as post-breeding production, dehairing, tanning, drying, and dyeing. In addition, raising livestock for leather causes environmental problems due to deforestation and destruction of the ecosystem, and causes the emission of many environmentally harmful substances such as heavy metals and air pollutants during the natural leather production process, and many animals are required to produce leather. Due to sacrifice, unethical problems also arise.

However, petrochemical-based synthetic fibers to replace leather also take hundreds of years to decompose, making it difficult to provide a fundamental solution.

Mushroom mycelium is the part that corresponds to the roots of mushrooms and is a structure in which thin, thread-like mycelium grows. Natural mycelium material with a leather texture manufactured through mycelium growth and post-processing processes can be used as an alternative material for leather.

Therefore, there is a need to develop optimized process technology required for mycelium growth to produce such leather-like sheets.

(Patent Document 0001) Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0081358

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a new concept leather replacement material made from mushroom mycelium.

In addition, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an optimized process required for mycelium growth to produce a leather-like sheet with a leather texture through mycelium growth and post-treatment processes.

In addition, the present invention aims to manufacture an eco-friendly leather-like sheet made of 100% natural polymer mycelium material, which has sufficient tensile strength and surface strength.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the contents mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium includes the step of subculturing mushroom fungi using potato agar medium (PDA); A bottle medium manufacturing step of preparing a bottle medium by inoculating the subcultured mycelium into a nutrient source filled in a bottle; A biomass production step of producing biomass using the bottle medium mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step; A biofilm culture step of cultivating a biofilm on the upper surface while mycelium proliferates in the biomass; And it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium, which includes a biofilm separation step of physically separating the biofilm, which is a pure mycelium mass, from the biomass.

In addition, it further includes a ripening medium production step of preparing a ripening medium by inoculating the subcultured mycelium into a nutrient source through a perforation in the cylindrical rod-shaped medium, and the biomass production step is performed by culturing the cultured medium through the bottle medium production step. The bottle medium mycelium and the rod medium mycelium cultured through the ripening medium production step can be mixed and stirred.

Additionally, in the biomass production step, the mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step and the mycelium cultured through the maturation medium production step may be completely mixed at a ratio of 50:50.

In addition, it further includes a post-treatment step performed after the biofilm separation step, and the post-treatment step may include a washing step of washing biomass residues with water before the surface of the separated biofilm dries.

In addition, the post-treatment step further includes a plasticizer treatment step after the washing step, and the plasticizer treatment is repeated by immersing the separated biofilm in a solution of 70% ethanol and 30% glycerin and drying it. You can.

In addition, the post-treatment step involves removing moisture and compressing the separated biofilm using a heating press after natural drying for 24 hours after the plasticizer treatment step, and the processing temperature of the heating press may be 90 degrees. .

In addition, after the post-treatment step, it further includes a dyeing step of dyeing the separated biofilm to a desired color using a water-soluble dye, and the dyeing step may repeat the steps of drying and dyeing the separated biofilm.

In addition, it further includes a lamination step of overlapping and combining two separated biofilms, and in the lamination step, the outer surface of each separated biofilm becomes the upper surface where the hyphae are generated, and the surface in contact with the biomass is turned inside. Can be glued into position.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium produced through the above method can be provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing a new concept leather replacement material manufactured from mushroom mycelium.

In addition, the present invention can provide an optimized process required for mycelium growth to produce a leather-like sheet with a leather texture through mycelium growth and post-treatment processes.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an eco-friendly leather-like sheet made of 100% natural polymer mycelium material, which has sufficient tensile strength and surface strength of the material.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the contents mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows the steps of culturing the mushroom bottle medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a ripening medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows the culture of biofilm at 3 to 4 weeks according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 shows the appearance of the biofilm before separation and the appearance of the biofilm after washing after the separation step, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows the appearance of a mushroom leather sheet after a post-treatment process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 shows the appearance of mushroom leather dyed with Leather Die's water-soluble dye.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice it. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

The terminology used herein is for describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise in the context.

As used herein, “comprises”, “comprising” refers to the presence or absence of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements. Addition is not ruled out.

Additionally, when describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The configuration of the present invention and its operational effects will be clearly understood through the detailed description below.

Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mushroom subculture step (S110) is a work process of subculturing mushroom bacteria using potato agar medium (PDA). For example, add 39 g of PDA based on 1000 ml of water (based on 40 Petri dishes), prepare PDA medium, and sterilize under high pressure at 121 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes in an autoclave high-pressure sterilizer to make it sterile, and then measure the temperature. So, when the temperature reaches 60 degrees, you can use the PDA in a petri dish.

Bacteria isolated from fruiting body tissue are advantageous because genetically pure strains can be obtained and the inside of the tissue is less contaminated with various bacteria. Fruiting bodies are collected when they are young, fresh and clean, the surface is cleaned, the apical surface is flame sterilized in a clean bench and then cut with a scalpel. Then, any mucus secreted on each surface is removed by wiping. Then, the cross section is cut at 2-3 mm intervals with a sterilized scalpel, and once the PDA hardens, the mushrooms can be sub-inoculated and sub-cultured in an incubator.

When the mycelial colony of the spawned bacteria on the PDA has grown to a diameter of about 6cm, the mycelium without bacterial contamination at the outer edge can be removed, the mycelium can be inoculated using a cork borer, and then re-separated and cultured for 3 days. This process can be performed for 2 days. It is safe to repeat ~3 times.

The mushroom fungus used here may be a wild mushroom species belonging to the polyporaceae family of basidiomycetes among mushrooms found in nature, and the fungal species of this mushroom family are the second mycelial type and have a significantly high proportion of skeletal hyphae. It has relatively strong strength characteristics. Depending on the hyphal type, the first hyphal type (monomitic) consists only of reproductive hyphae, and the second hyphal type (dimitic) consists of both reproductive hyphae and skeletal hyphae, and sometimes consists of reproductive hyphae and combined hyphae. There are also some, and the third hyphal type (trimitic) is composed of three types of hyphae: reproductive hyphae, skeletal hyphae, and connective hyphae on top of them. As a result of various experiments, when the second mycelial type with a high proportion of skeletal hyphae was used, the mechanical strength was high and it was suitable as a leather replacement material.

Next, the bottle medium manufacturing step (S120) is a work process of inoculating the mycelium subcultured in the mushroom subculture step (S110) into the nutrient source accumulated in the bottle and turning it into a culture medium, preparing the materials to be filled in the bottle medium. Start with the work. The moisture content is 60% and pH 6.0, and wood vinegar can be added as an accelerator (1 liter/1 to 2,000 times diluted concentration). In addition, all materials are placed in a plastic bag, sterilized in a high-pressure sterilizer at 121 degrees for about 40 minutes, inoculated with spawn subcultured in PDA medium, and cultured for up to 3 weeks until colonization.

Here, the material filled in the bottle medium may be a combination of sawdust and rice bran, such as Douglas fir, willow, wheat bran, and rice bran, with Douglas fir:willow:wheat bran:rice bran in a ratio of 5~7:1~3:0.5~ After mixing at a volume ratio of 1.5:0.5 to 1.5:, the water content can be adjusted to around 60% by adding wood vinegar (diluted 1 to 2,000 times) and water. After sterilizing the bottle filled in this way, an inoculation hole for mycelium inoculation is made, and the mushroom mycelium can be grown by culturing at 19 to 30 degrees Celsius for 25 to 35 days. In particular, the environment in which the mushrooms and mushrooms are grown is cultured at a relatively high temperature of 28 to 33 degrees for 20 days, and the cultivation speed can be maximized by controlling the supply of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Referring to Figure 2, you can see the stages of cultivation of the mushroom bottle medium.

Next, the ripening medium manufacturing step (S130) is a work process of inoculating the solid seed mass produced by maturing (culturing) the subcultured mycelium or bottle medium using a cylindrical or cylindrical rod-shaped medium and turning it into a culture medium. In this way, sawdust and rice bran are mixed inside a cylinder or cylindrical bag about 10cm in diameter and 40cm in length, sterilized, and then inoculated with mushroom spawn. These mushrooms use the carbon and nitrogen provided by the sawdust and rice bran as a source of nutrients. It promotes vegetative growth and can usually be inoculated with solid or liquid spawn after drilling 4 to 5 holes on one side (upper part) of the cylinder.

When mycelium culture is only used as a bottle medium, it takes a lot of man-hours to de-bottle, and plastic bottles are not environmentally friendly materials. Therefore, for productivity and environmental value, a rod-shaped medium (Shiitake inoculation culture rod-shaped medium) is used when cultivating shiitake mushrooms. ) You can prepare a ripening medium in the form, and fill about 2.5kg of the same material as the bottle medium nutrient source into a bag in the same way as the bottle medium manufacturing process and make 4 to 5 holes on the top to inoculate the seed.

Referring to Figure 3, the photo on the left shows the medium before inoculation, the photo in the middle shows the adhered medium, and the photo on the right shows the fully cultured, white-colored rod-shaped medium. After perforation and inoculation, it takes 4 to 5 days for the rod-shaped medium to take root, and about 14 to 15 days for it to turn white. The optimal temperature for culturing the mature medium is 28 to 32 degrees.

Next, the biomass production step (S140) is a process of mixing and stirring the bottle medium mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step and the rod medium mycelium cultured through the maturation medium production step to fill the final mold for mushroom leather production. , the mixing ratio of bottle medium mycelium and rod medium mycelium can be used to ensure complete mixing (stirring) at a uniform ratio of 50:50. In this way, by completely mixing and stirring the two mycelia, the molds with young mycelium (bottle medium) concentrated at the top or bottom when filling the mold in the subsequent step may be contaminated, the biofilm is not formed densely, or the formation itself is not formed. Slow problems can be solved.

Next, the biofilm culture step (S150) is a process in which the mycelium proliferates in the biomass and the biofilm covers the top of the biomass filled in the mold. The upper biofilm covering the biomass can be a raw material for a mushroom leather substitute material, Cultured biomass can be integrated and used as a raw material for substitute materials for plastic or Styrofoam.

In the process of filling biomass into a mold, leveling the filling materials and managing contamination are important, and if the biomass is filled unevenly, the biofilm formed does not grow evenly. Contamination control is actually an aspect that requires constant attention throughout the entire process. In particular, the working environment during disinfection, sterilization, and filling inside the mold has a significant impact on whether contamination occurs during culture, and it is impossible to know whether contamination occurs immediately after filling. Since the occurrence of contamination can only be confirmed after a certain level of biofilm has been cultured, management of contamination during initial work is a factor that can greatly determine overall productivity.

In addition, there is some difference in the growth period depending on the mold, and since it is difficult to separate the biofilm and biomass later, gauze can be covered between the biofilm and biomass. Here, the thin gauze covering the biomass surface has relatively large pores, allowing mycelium to sufficiently pass through. Additionally, because the gauze is located between the biomass and the biofilm, the gauze can be wrapped in foil and sterilized before use.

In addition, the culture room where biofilm culture is performed must set the optimal culture temperature using a hot and cold fan. For example, a temperature of 29 degrees, internal humidity of 60-70%, and external humidity of 30% can be maintained. The ventilation fan is also operated at all times to reduce CO2 concentration. was maintained at 500~700ppm. In addition, the upper part is wrapped to prevent the biofilm from drying out, but it is not completely sealed to allow the mycelium to breathe, and frequent spraying can be done to maintain humidity of 60-70%. Referring to Figure 4, it can be seen that the 3-4 week biofilm was cultured.

In addition, the strain of the polyporaceae family used as a mushroom fungus is a parasitic strain and is produced in the bottom bar of the bark or roots of the parasitic tree. As the mycelium inside comes out to the outside, it quickly dies through the abundant supply of oxygen. During hypertrophic growth, if the temperature and humidity are not suitable for hypertrophic growth, it immediately transforms into a fruiting body and reproduces by blowing spores. According to the present invention, this natural phenomenon can be used to control culture conditions as follows.

First, oxygen is supplied to the inside of the biomass through perforations, etc. (at this time, the internal CO2 concentration is adjusted to 1% to 3%) to increase the control of the biomass by speeding up the proliferation and growth of mycelia, and then supplying oxygen to the inside of the biomass. Stop and supply oxygen to the outside to form an initial biofilm. This is because the biofilm can grow uniformly over the entire area only if the grip of the mycelium within the biomass is increased through rapid growth in the beginning. Here, if oxygen is continuously supplied to the inside of the biomass, the problem of internal lignification occurs, so the internal oxygen supply through the perforation is stopped, and after rapid growth, oxygen is supplied from the outside, that is, from the top, and the biofilm is directed to the top. This allows the initial biofilm to be layered and formed uniformly.

Next, while supplying external oxygen, the carbon dioxide ratio inside the biomass is increased to 2-8% CO2 concentration, so that the mycelium inside decomposes the biomass through vegetative reproduction and sends the accumulated nutrients to the external biofilm. For this purpose, CO2 can be supplied periodically and intermittently into the biomass through perforations, for example, 12 times a day, for 20 minutes each time.

In addition, so as not to overlap with the above CO2 supply time, oxygen and moisture are supplied to the biomass periodically and intermittently, for example, 12 times a day, for 5 minutes each time, thereby ensuring nutritional reproduction and securing the nutrient source necessary for biofilm growth. By providing CO2 supply, oxygen, and moisture supply, the biofilm can be stacked and grown toward the top of the biofilm.

In addition, since it turns into a fruiting body when the external carbon dioxide concentration falls below 1%, the carbon dioxide concentration outside the biofilm formed after biofilm formation is constantly controlled within the range of 1 to 3%. In addition, by controlling temperature, humidity, and illumination, it is possible to create a process of growing the biofilm thickly and evenly by allowing volume and vertical growth.

Next, the biofilm separation step (S160) is a step of physically separating the biofilm, which is a pure mycelium mass, from the biomass. When the thickness of the biofilm is sufficiently thick and it is confirmed that browning has progressed at the edges, biofilm separation can be performed manually, etc. there is.

Next, a post-processing step (S170) including washing, plasticization, drying, and heat compression processes may be performed.

First, before the surface of the separated leather sheet dries, any remaining biomass residues must be washed under running water under strong water pressure. Referring to Figure 5, you can see the biofilm before separation on the left and the biofilm after washing after the separation step on the right.

Next, plasticizers such as glycerol and water fill the space between high polymer chains and increase the distance, thereby improving the polymer's ability to move and acting like a lubricant. As a plasticizer, each is added to a solution of 70% ethanol and 30% glycerin. Plasticizer treatment can be performed by soaking the biofilm for two days (or applying it entirely), drying it (using a roller for a quick work process), and repeating this process five times. The plasticizer treatment process for leather seats is essential. If it is exposed to the outside as a sheet, it dries and becomes stiff. In this case, many cracks appear on the surface and the sheet is damaged, so the quality of the product is not maintained. Plasticizers solve this problem and act like a lubricant for mushroom sheets made of natural polymers. In particular, plasticizers fill the spaces between polymer chains to increase the distance, making the mushroom leather sheets soft.

Next, since there is excessive moisture in the sheet even after 24 hours of natural drying after plasticizer treatment, a heating press can be used to remove moisture and compress the sheet. Since the heating press was performed after plasticizing and natural drying, the problem of severe shrinkage or deformation of the mushroom leather sheet can be solved. In addition, when the temperature of the heating press was set to over 100 degrees Celsius, the surface was scorched, so in order to maintain the unique bright white color of the biofilm without scorching the sheet, it was set to the highest temperature of 90 degrees Celsius and dried for 2 minutes. It is desirable to proceed with a compression operation, and it can be processed to a thickness of about 2 mm through a thermocompression press operation. Referring to Figure 6, you can see the appearance of the mushroom leather sheet after the post-processing process.

Through this process, mushroom leather sheet manufacturing can be completed. (S180)

Next, if necessary, fabric manufacturing can be completed in the desired color through dyeing. (S190) Generally, when distributing leather, it is distributed in a dyed state rather than simply processed at the raw hide stage, so mushroom leather A dyeing process may be added to make fabric.

The dyeing process first repeats the drying process of the mushroom mycelium sheet, and the same process must be repeated a total of 3 times (set at 90 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes) to ensure complete drying before proceeding with the process to allow the dye to penetrate well into the sheet. You can.

Types of dyes can be broadly divided into two categories: Leather Dye (dye: water-soluble) and Leather Stain (pigment). When leather stain is used, the dye does not absorb well into the fabric and continues to stain over time. However, in the case of water-soluble dyes such as leather dye, the gloss is less than stain, but there is no dye stain or inconvenience during actual use, so water-soluble dyes such as leather dye are difficult to use because they have the disadvantage of staining the dye. It is desirable to use . Referring to Figure 7, it shows the appearance of mushroom leather dyed with leather die's water-soluble dye.

In addition, after the fabrication of the fabric is completed, a lamination operation of overlapping and combining two pieces of mushroom leather fabric can be added to improve mechanical strength. When laminated, the thickness increases, providing further improved mechanical strength. . At this time, it is desirable to place the side that was in contact with the biomass of each fabric on the inside of each fabric, and place the biofilm on the upper side toward the outside because mycelia are generated on the upper side. Additionally, lamination work can be performed using rollers and eco-friendly water-soluble adhesives.

The embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present invention are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted in accordance with the scope of the patent claims below, and all technologies within the equivalent scope thereof should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

In the method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium,
A subculture step of subculturing the mushroom fungi using potato agar medium (PDA);
A bottle medium manufacturing step of preparing a bottle medium by inoculating the subcultured mycelium into a nutrient source filled in a bottle;
A biomass production step of producing biomass using the bottle medium mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step;
A biofilm culture step of cultivating a biofilm on the upper surface while mycelium proliferates in the biomass; and
A biofilm separation step of physically separating the biofilm, which is a pure mycelium mass, from the biomass.
A method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the ripening medium is prepared by inoculating the subcultured mycelium into a nutrient source through a perforation in the cylindrical rod-shaped medium.
It further includes,
The biomass production step is a method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium, wherein the bottle medium mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step and the rod medium mycelium cultured through the ripening medium production step are mixed and stirred. The method of claim 2, wherein in the biomass production step, the mycelium cultured through the bottle medium production step and the mycelium cultured through the maturation medium production step are completely mixed in a ratio of 50:50. How to make leather-like sheets. The method of claim 1, further comprising a post-treatment step performed after the biofilm separation step,
The post-treatment step includes a washing step of washing biomass residues with water before the surface of the separated biofilm dries. The method of claim 4, wherein the post-treatment step further includes a plasticizer treatment step after the washing step, wherein the plasticizer treatment involves immersing the separated biofilm in a solution of 70% ethanol and 30% glycerin and drying it. A method of manufacturing leather-like sheets using mushroom mycelium, which involves repeating the operation. The method of claim 5, wherein the post-treatment step involves removing moisture and compressing the separated biofilm using a heating press after natural drying for 24 hours after the plasticizer treatment step, and the treatment temperature of the heating press is A method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium, which is 90 degrees. The method of claim 4, further comprising a dyeing step of dyeing the separated biofilm to a desired color using a water-soluble dye after the post-treatment step, wherein the dyeing step repeats the steps of drying and dyeing the separated biofilm. A method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium. The method of claim 1, further comprising a merging step of overlapping and combining two separated sheets of biofilm, wherein in the merging step, the outer surface of each separated biofilm becomes the upper surface where hyphae are generated and the lamination step is in contact with the biomass. A method of manufacturing a leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium, wherein the side is glued to the inside. A leather-like sheet using mushroom mycelium produced through the method of claims 1 to 8.