Self-supporting composite material made with mycelia cells and method of making same

Abstract

The composite material is comprised of a substrate of discrete particles and a network of interconnected mycelia cells bonding the discrete particles together. The composite material forms a core to which one or more boards of veneer material are bonded to form a panel.

Claims

1. A self-supporting composite material comprising a plurality of layers of engineered substrate wherein each said layer including a plurality of discrete particles and said mycelia cells extend through and around said plurality of discrete particles to bond said particles together into a coherent whole, and a network of interconnected mycelia cells extending through and bonding said layers together.

2. A self-supporting composite material as set forth in claim 1 wherein each layer of said layers is contiguous to an adjacent layer of said layers and said network of interconnected mycelia cells bonds said contiguous layers together.

Description

(1) These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified flow chart of the method employed for making a fungi bonded material in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic life cycle of Pleurotus ostreatus;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates an inoculated substrate before growth in an enclosure in accordance with the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates an inoculated substrate after three days of growth in accordance with the invention;

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates an inoculated substrate nearing the end of the growth in accordance with the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a final composite of one embodiment composed of nutrient particles and a bulking particle in accordance with the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates a final composite of one embodiment sandwiched between panels of oriented strand board in accordance with the invention;

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates a composite with internal features in accordance with the invention;

(10) FIG. 9 illustrates an enclosure containing a filter disk, temperature sensor, humidity sensor and heat exchange mechanism in accordance with the invention;

(11) FIG. 10 illustrates an enclosure lid with a rectangular extrusion in accordance with the invention; and

(12) FIG. 11 illustrates a section of a wall board made in accordance with the invention;

(13) Referring to FIG. 1, the method of making a self-supporting structural material is comprised of the following steps. 0. Obtain substrate constituents, i.e. inoculum in either a sexual or asexual state, a bulking particle or a variety of bulking particles, a nutrient source or a variety of nutrient sources, a fibrous material or a variety of fibrous materials and water. 1. combining the substrate constituents into a growth media or slurry by mixing the substrate materials together in volumetric ratios to obtain a solid media while the inoculum is applied during or following the mixing process. 2. applying the growth media to an enclosure or series of enclosures representing the final or close to final geometry. The media is placed in an enclosure with a volume that denotes the composite's final form including internal and external features. The enclosure may contain other geometries embedded in the slurry to obtain a desired form. 3. growing the mycelia, i.e. filamentous hyphae, through the substrate. The enclosure is placed in an environmentally controlled incubation chamber as mycelia grows bonding the bulking particles and consuming the allotted nutrient(s). 3a. repeating steps 1-3 for applications in which materials are layered or embedded until the final composite media is produced. 4. removing the composite and rendering the composite biologically inert. The living composite, i.e. the particles bonded by the mycelia, is extracted from the enclosure and the organism is killed and the composite dehydrated. 5. completing the composite. The composite is post-processed to obtain the desired geometry and surface finish and laminated or coated.

(14) The inoculum is produced using any one of the many methods known for the cultivation and production of fungi including, but not limited to, liquid suspended fragmented mycelia, liquid suspended spores and mycelia growing on solid or liquid nutrient.

(15) Inoculum is combined with the engineered substrate, which may be comprised of nutritional and non-nutritional particles, fibers, or other elements. This mixture of inoculum and substrate is then placed in an enclosure.

(16) In step 3, hyphae are grown through the substrate, with the net shape of the substrate bounded by the physical dimensions of the enclosure. This enclosure can take on any range of shapes including rectangles, boxes, spheres, and any other combinations of surfaces that produce a volume. Growth can occur both inside the enclosure and outside of the enclosure depending on desired end shape. Similarly, multiple enclosures can be combined and nested to produce voids in the final substrate.

(17) Other elements embedded with the slurry may also become integrated into the final composite through the growth of the hyphae.

(18) The hyphae digest the nutrients and form a network of interconnected mycelia cells growing through and around the nutrients and through and around the non-nutrient particles, fibers, or elements. This growth provides structure to the once loose particles, fibers, elements, and nutrients, effectively bonding them in place while bonding the hyphae to each other as well.

(19) In step 4, the substrate, now held tightly together by the mycelia network, is separated from the enclosure, and any internal enclosures or elements are separated away, as desired.

(20) The above method may be performed with a filamentous fungus selected from the group consisting of ascomycetes, basidiomycetes, deuteromycetes, oomycetes, and zygomycetes. The method is preferably performed with fungi selected from the class: Holobasidiomycete.

(21) The method is more preferably performed with a fungus selected from the group consisting of: pleurotus ostreatus Agrocybe brasiliensis Flammulina velutipes Hypholoma capnoides Hypholoma sublaterium Morchella angusticeps Macrolepiota procera Coprinus comatus Agaricus arvensis Ganoderma tsugae Inonotus obliquus

(22) The method allows for the production of materials that may, in various embodiments, be characterized as structural, acoustical, insulating, shock absorbing, fire protecting, biodegrading, flexible, rigid, water absorbing, and water resisting and which may have other properties in varying degrees based on the selection of fungi and the nutrients. By varying the nutrient size, shape, and type, the bonded bulking particle, object, or fiber, size, shape, and type, the environmental conditions, and the fungi strain, a diverse range of material types, characteristics and appearances can be produced using the method described above.

(23) The present invention uses the vegetative growth cycle of filamentous fungi for the production of materials comprised entirely, or partially of the cellular body of said fungi collectively known as mycelia.

(24) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the life cycle of Pleareotus Ostreatus, filamentous fungi. The area of interest for this invention is the vegetative state of a fungi's life cycle where a fungi is actively growing through the extension of its tube like hyphae.

(25) In this Description, the following definitions are specifically used:

(26) Spore: The haploid, asexual bud or sexual reproducing unit, or seed, of a fungus.

(27) Hyphae: The thread-like, cellular tube of filamentous fungi which emerge and grow from the germination of a fungal spore.

(28) Mycelium: The collection of hyphae tubes originating from a single spore and branching out into the environment.

(29) Inoculum: Any carrier, solid, aerated, or liquid, of a organism, which can be used to transfer said organism to another media, medium, or substrate.

(30) Nutrient: Any complex carbohydrate, polysaccharide chain, or fatty group, that a filamentous fungi can utilize as an energy source for growth.

(31) Fruiting Body: A multicellular structure comprised of fungi hyphae that is formed for the purpose of spore production, generally referred to as a mushroom.

(32) Fungi Culturing for Material Production

(33) Methodology

(34) Procedures for culturing filamentous fungi for material production.

(35) All methods disclosed for the production of grown materials require an inoculation stage wherein an inoculum is used to transport a organism into a engineered substrate. The inoculum, carrying a desired fungi strain, is produced in sufficient quantities to inoculate the volume of the engineered substrates; inoculation volume may range from as low as 1% of the substrates total volume to as high as 80% of the substrates volume. Inoculum may take the form of a liquid carrier, solid carrier, or any other known method for transporting a organism from one growth supporting environment to another.

(36) Generally, the inoculum is comprised of water, carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins, other nutrients and the fungi. Depending on temperature, initial tissue amounts, humidity, inoculum constituent concentrations, and growth periods, culturing methodology could vary widely.

EXAMPLE 1

Production of a Grown Material Using an Enclosure

(37) Plearotus Ostreatus, or any other filamentous fungi, is cultured from an existing tissue line to produce a suitable mass of inoculum. The inoculum may take the form of a solid carrier, liquid carrier, or any other variation there of.

(38) To produce a grown material using an enclosure based manufacturing technique, the following steps are taken: 1. Creation of an engineered substrate comprised of nutritional particles, fibers, non-nutritional particles, and other elements. 2. Disposition of the substrate within an enclosure or series of enclosures with voids designed to produce the desired final shape. 3. Inoculation of the substrate within the enclosure with the inoculum containing the desired fungi strain. 4. Growing the desired fungi strain through the engineered substrate within the enclosure or enclosures. 5. Removal of the substrate from the enclosure or enclosures.

(39) Alternatively, the method may use the following steps:

(40) 1. Creation of an engineered substrate comprised of nutritional particles, fibers, non-nutritional particles, and other elements.

(41) 2. Inoculation of the engineered substrate with the inoculum containing the desired fungi strain.

(42) 3. Disposition of the substrate within an enclosure or series of enclosures with voids designed to produce the desired final shape.

(43) 4. Growing the desired fungi strain through the engineered substrate within the enclosure or enclosures.

(44) 5. Removal of the bonded engineered substrate from the enclosure or enclosures.

(45) Alternatively, the method may use the following steps: 1. Creation of an engineered substrate comprised of nutritional particles, fibers, non-nutritional particles, and other elements. 2. Inoculation of the engineered substrate with the inoculum containing the desired fungi strain. (Growing of fungi through the engineered substrate in an enclosure such that the entire engineered substrate could be considered an inoculum. The substrate may be partially agitated during this time, or broken up before proceeding to step 3.) 3. Disposition of the engineered substrate inoculum within an enclosure or series of enclosures with voids designed to produce the desired final shape. 4. Growing the desired fungi strain through the engineered substrate within the enclosure or enclosures. 5. Removal of the bonded engineered substrate from the enclosure or enclosures.

(46) As in other disclosed embodiments, the bonding of the grown material is derived primarily from the fungi cellular body, mycelia, that forms throughout and around the engineered substrate. The overall properties of the material are set by the behavior of multiple particles, fibers, and other elements, acting in concert to impart material characteristics, much like in the creation of other composites. The enclosure or enclosures sets the final shape that of the material.

(47) Referring to FIG. 2, the life cycle of Pleurotus ostreatus proceeds from zygote formation (1) to ascus (2) with multiplicity of ascopores (3) and then to hypha formation (4) with the hyphae being collectively called mycelium (5).

(48) Grown Material within an Enclosure, First EmbodimentFIGS. 3-6

(49) FIG. 3 shows a side view of one embodiment i.e. an insulating composite, just after inoculation has taken place.

(50) In this embodiment, a group of nutritional particles 1 and a group of insulating particles 2 were placed in an enclosure 5 to form an engineered substrate 6 therein. The enclosure 5 has an open top and determines the final net shape of the grown composite. Thereafter, an inoculum 3 was applied directly to the surface of the engineered substrate 6.

(51) Shortly after the inoculum 3 was applied to the surface, hyphae 4 were visible extending away from the inoculum 3 and into and around the nutritional particles 1 and insulating particles 2.

(52) FIG. 4 shows a side view of the same embodiment described above, i.e. an insulating composite, approximately 3 days after the inoculum 3 was applied to the surface of the engineered substrate 6. Hyphae 3 have now penetrated into the engineered substrate 6 and are beginning to bond insulating particles 2 and nutritional particles 1 into a coherent whole.

(53) FIG. 5. shows a side view of the same embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, i.e. an insulating composite, approximately 7 days after the inoculum 3 was applied to the surface of the engineered substrate 6. Hyphae 3, collectively referred to as mycelia 7, have now fully colonized the top half of engineered substrate 6, bonding insulating particles 2 and nutritional particles 1 into a coherent whole.

(54) FIG. 6 shows a side view of the same embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, i.e. an insulating composite, after the engineered substrate 6 has been fully colonized and bonded by mycelia 7. A cutaway view shows a detail of a single insulating particle bound by a number of hyphae 4. Also shown within this embodiment are fibers 9 bound within mycelia 8.

EXAMPLE 2

Layered Molding

(55) To produce a grown material using a layered enclosure based manufacturing technique, the following steps are taken: 1. Creation of an engineered substrate composed partially or entirely of nutritional particles, fibers, and other elements, and composed partially or entirely of non-nutritional particles, fibers, and other elements. 2. Disposition of a fraction of the engineered substrate to an enclosure or series of enclosures with voids designed to produce the desired final shape. 3. Inoculation of the substrate within the enclosure with the inoculum containing the desired fungi strain or type. Inoculation can also occur during the substrate creation stage, prior to moving the substrate into the enclosure or series of enclosures. 4. Growing the desired fungi strain through the engineered substrate within the enclosure or enclosures. 5. Adding, as desired, additional layers of the engineered substrate or additional layers of an engineered substrate with a differing composition. 6. Growing the desired fungi strain through the additional layer of the engineered substrate. 7. Repeating, as necessary, to develop desired feature height, material size, and material composition. 8. Removal of the bonded engineered substrate from the enclosure or enclosures.
Alternatively, the method may use the following steps: 1. Creation of an engineered substrate composed partially or entirely of nutritional particles, fibers, and other elements, and composed partially or entirely of non-nutritional particles, fibers, and other elements. 2. Inoculation of the engineered substrate within the enclosure with the inoculum containing the desired fungi strain or type. 3. Disposition of a fraction of the engineered substrate to an enclosure or series of enclosures with voids designed to produce the desired final shape. 4. Growing the desired fungi strain through the engineered substrate within the enclosure or enclosures. 5. Adding, as desired, additional layers of the engineered substrate or additional layers of an engineered substrate with a differing composition. 6. Growing the desired fungi strain through the additional layer of the engineered substrate. 7. Repeating, as necessary, to develop desired feature height, material size, and material composition. 8. Removal of the bonded engineered substrate from the enclosure or enclosures.

EXAMPLE 3

Static EmbodimentComposite

(56) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a mycelia bonded composite composed of nutritional particles, bulking particles, fibers, and insulating particles. In this embodiment of a mycelia bonded composite, the following growth conditions and materials were used: The engineered substrate was composed of the following constituents in the following percentages by dry volume: 1. Rice Hulls, purchased from Rice World in Arkansas, 50% of the substrate. 2. Horticultural Perlite, purchased from World Mineral of Santa Barbra, Calif., 15% of the substrate. 3. DGS, dried distillers grains, sourced from Troy Grain Traders of Troy N.Y., 10% of the substrate. 4. Ground cellulose, composed of recycled paper ground into an average sheet size of 1 mm1 mm, 10% of the substrate. 5. Coco coir, sourced from Mycosupply, 10% of the substrate. 6. Inoculum composed of rye grain and inoculated with Plearotus Ostreatus, 3% of the substrate. 7. Birch sawdust, fine ground, 2% of the substrate by volume. 8. Tap water, from the Troy Municipal Water supply, was added until the mixture reached field capacity, an additional 30% of the total dry substrate volume was added in the form of water.

(57) These materials were combined together in a dry mix process using a rotary mixer to fully incorporate the particles, nutrients, and fibers. Water was added in the final mixing stage. Total mixing time was 5 minutes.

(58) The enclosures were incubated for 14 days at 100% RH humidity and at a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit. The enclosures serve as individual microclimates for each growing substrate set. By controlling the rate of gas exchange, humidity can be varied between RH 100%, inside an enclosure, and the exterior humidity, typically RH 30-50%. Each rectangular enclosure fully contained the substrate and inoculum preventing gaseous exchange. Opening the enclosures lids after 5 and 10 days allowed gaseous exchange. In some cases, lids included filter disks allowing continuous gas exchange.

(59) After 14 days of growth, the enclosures were removed from the incubator. The loose fill particles and fibers having been bonded into a cohesive whole by the fungi's mycelium produced a rectangular panel with dimensions closely matching those of the growth enclosure. This panel was then removed from the enclosure by removing the lid, inverting the growth enclosure, and pressing gently on the bottom.

(60) The mycelia bonded panel was then transferred to a drying rack within a convection oven. Air was circulated around the panel until fully dry, about 4 hours. Air temperature was held at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

(61) After drying, the now completed composite is suitable for direct application within a wall, or can be post processed to include other features or additions including water resistant skins, stiff exterior panel faces, and paper facings.

(62) Within the above embodiment, the ratios and percentages of bulking particles, insulating particles, fibers, nutrients, inoculum, and water can be varied to produce composites with a range of properties. The materials expanded perlite compositions can vary from 5%-95% of the composite by volume. Other particles, including exfoliated vermiculite, diatomic earth, and ground plastics, can be combined with the perlite or substituted entirely. Particle sizes, from horticultural grade perlite to filter grade perlite are all suitable for composite composition and many different composite types can be created by varying the ratio of perlite particle size or vermiculite or diatomic earth particle size.

(63) Rice hulls can compose anywhere from 5-95% of the composite material by volume. Fibers can compose from 1-90% of the material by volume. DGS can compose between 2-30% of the substrate by volume. The inoculum, when in the form of grain, can compose between 1-70% of the substrate by volume. The inoculum, when in other forms can comprise up to 100% of the substrate. Ground cellulose, sourced from waste paper, can compose from 1-30% of the substrate by volume.

(64) Other embodiments may use an entirely different set of particles from either agricultural or industrial sources in ratios sufficient to support the growing of filamentous fungi through their mass.

(65) Though not detailed in this preferred embodiment, the engineered substrate can also contain elements and features including: rods, cubes, panels, lattices, and other elements with a minimum dimension 2 times larger than the mean diameter of the largest average particle size.

(66) In this embodiment, the fungi strain Pleurotus ostreatus was grown through the substrate to produce a bonded composite. Many other filamentous fungi's could be used to produce a similar bonding result with differing final composite strength, flexibility, and water sorption characteristics.

(67) In this embodiment, the substrate was inoculated using Pleurotus ostreatus growing on rye grain. Other methods of inoculation, including liquid spore inoculation, and liquid tissue inoculation, could be used with a similar result.

(68) Incubation of the composite was performed at 100% RH humidity at 75 Fahrenheit. Successful incubation can be performed at temperatures as low as 35 Fahrenheit and as high as 130 Fahrenheit. RH humidity can also be varied to as low as 40%.

(69) Drying was accomplished using a convection oven but other methods, including microwaving and exposing the composite to a stream of cool, dry air, are both viable approaches to moisture removal.

EXAMPLE 4

FIG. 7.Static EmbodimentPanel System with Composite Core

(70) Referring to FIG. 7, by adding stiff exterior faces to the rectangular panel described in Example 2 (FIG. 6), a panelized system composed of a mycelia bonded core and exterior facing system can be created. This panelized system has superior strength characteristics due to the addition of stiff exterior faces.

(71) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of this embodiment. Using a core 10, as produced in Example 2, the two primary faces of the rectangular panel 10 are bonded to two sheets 11 of oriented strand board (OSB). An air-curing adhesive was used in conjunction with clamps to secure the OSB faces to the mycelia bonded core.

(72) The process described above produces an embodiment of the mycelia bonded insulating composite with exterior facing. This panel, composed of a mycelia bonded core and two stiff exterior faces, is suitable for use in a range of applications including: doors, cubicle walls, basement paneling, SIP house construction, conventional insulating applications, roof insulation, table tops, and other applications where a panel/core system is used.

(73) In this example, an air curing adhesive, such as gorilla glue, was used. However, a range of adhesives, including thermoset resins and other types could be used to produce a bond between the mycelia bonded composite core and the exterior faces.

(74) In another embodiment, samples have also been produced where the exterior faces are placed in vitro during the incubator process. The growth of the filamentous fungi directly bonds the exterior faces to the mycelia bonded composite core producing a panelized system that can be used immediately after drying. It is the belief that in the case of a cellulose exterior skin (OSB) bonding occurs both through mycelia surface adhesion and through fungi growth into the cellulose of the exterior skin. In the case of a non-digestible exterior skin, bonding is believed to occur through mechanical adhesion between surface characteristics, features, and the mycelia hyphae.

EXAMPLE 5

Static EmbodimentComposite with Unique Shape and Internal Features

(75) FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a mycelia bonded composite composed of nutritional particles, bulking particles, fibers, and insulating particles. This embodiment includes a void near the center that is preserved in the final composite. The preferred use for this composite is a packing material wherein the device to be packed is completely, or partially, placed within a void or series of voids formed by the grown composite.

(76) In this embodiment of a mycelia bonded composite, the following growth conditions and materials were used: The engineered substrate was composed of the following constituents in the following percentages by dry volume: 1. Rice Hulls, purchased from Rice World in Arkansas, 50% of the substrate. 2. Horticultural Perlite, purchased from World Mineral of Santa Barbra Calif., 15% of the substrate. 3. DGS, dried distillers grains, sourced from Troy Grain Traders of Troy N.Y., 10% of the substrate. 4. Ground cellulose, composed of recycled paper ground into an average sheet size of 1 mm1 mm, 10% of the substrate. 5. Coco coir, sourced from Mycosupply, 10% of the substrate. 6. Inoculum composed of rye grain and inoculated with Plearotus Ostreatus, 3% of the substrate. 7. Birch sawdust, fine ground, 2% of the substrate by volume. 8. Tap water, from the Troy Municipal Water supply, was added until the mixture reached field capacity, an additional 30% of the total dry substrate volume was added in the form of water.

(77) These materials were combined together in a dry mix process using a rotary mixer to fully incorporate the particles, nutrients, and fibers. Water was added in the final mixing stage. Total mixing time was 5 minutes.

(78) After mixing, the inoculated substrate was transferred to a series of rectangular enclosures. Lids were placed on these enclosures containing block shaped extrusions. These extrusions produced corresponding net shape voids in the loose fill particles as indicated in FIG. 8.

(79) The enclosures were incubated for 14 days at 100% RH humidity and at a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit. The enclosures serve as individual microclimates for each growing substrate set. By controlling the rate of gas exchange, humidity can be varied between RH 100%, inside an enclosure, and the exterior humidity, typically RH 30-50%. Each rectangular enclosure fully contained the substrate and inoculum preventing gaseous exchange. Opening the enclosures lids after 5 and 10 days allowed gaseous exchange. In some cases, lids included filter disks allowing continuous gas exchange.

(80) After 14 days of growth, the enclosures were removed from the incubator. The loose fill particles and fibers have now been bonded into a cohesive whole by the fungi's mycelium producing a rectangular object with a net shape closely matching that of the growth enclosure. This net shape includes a corresponding void where the enclosure lid's extrusion intersected the substrate. This panel was then removed from the enclosure by removing the lid, inverting the growth container, and pressing gently on the bottom.

(81) The mycelia bonded panel was then transferred to a drying rack within a convection oven. Air was circulated around the panel until fully dry, about 4 hours. Air temperature was held at 130 Fahrenheit.

(82) After drying, the now completed composite is suitable for direct application as a packaging material or can be post processed to include other features or additions including water resistant skins, stiff exterior panel faces, and paper facings.

(83) Within the above embodiment, the ratios and percentages of bulking particles, insulating particles, fibers, nutrients, inoculum, and water can be varied to produce composites with a range of properties. The materials expanded perlite compositions can vary from 5%-95% of the composite by volume. Other particles, including exfoliated vermiculite, diatomic earth, and ground plastics, can be combined with the perlite or substituted entirely. Particle sizes, from horticultural grade perlite to filter grade perlite are all suitable for composite composition and many different composite types can be created by varying the ratio of perlite particle size or vermiculite or diatomic earth particle size.

(84) Rice hulls can compose anywhere from 5-95% of the composite material by volume. Fibers can compose from 1-90% of the material by volume. DOS can compose between 2-30% of the substrate by volume. The inoculum, when in the form of grain, can compose between 1-30% of the substrate by volume. Ground cellulose, sourced from waste paper, can compose from 1-30% of the substrate by volume.

(85) Other embodiments may use an entirely different set of particles from either agricultural or industrial sources in ratios sufficient to support the growing of filamentous fungi through their mass.

(86) Though not detailed in this preferred embodiment, the engineered substrate can also contain internal elements including: rods, cubes, panels, lattices, and other elements with a dimension minima 5 times larger than the mean diameter of the largest average particle size.

(87) In this embodiment, the fungi strain Pleurotus ostreatus was grown through the substrate to produce a bonded composite. Many other filamentous fungi's could be used to produce a similar bonding result with differing final composite strength, flexibility, and water sorption characteristics.

(88) In this embodiment, the substrate was inoculated using Pleurotus ostreatus growing on rye grain. Other methods of inoculation, including liquid spore inoculation, and liquid tissue inoculation, could be used with a similar result.

(89) Incubation of the composite was performed at 100% RH humidity at 75 Fahrenheit. Successful incubation can be performed at temperatures as low as 35 Fahrenheit and as high as 130 Fahrenheit. RH humidity can also be varied to as low as 40%.

(90) In this embodiment, only one void of a square shape was shown, but such a product could include multiple voids in many shapes to match the dimensions of product enclosed within the voids.

EXAMPLE 6

Growth EnclosureFIG. 9

(91) Referring to FIG. 9, a square growth enclosure is provided with a lid to produce composite panels with an equivalent net shape. The panels are produced using a process similar to that outlined in example 1 and 2.

(92) The shape of the enclosure used for composite production determines the eventual shape of the final product. In FIG. 9, the orthogonally oriented sides, left 13 and front 14, form a corner with bottom 15, this corner feature, as other enclosure induced net shapes, will be replicated in the grown composite.

(93) Beyond producing the equivalent net shape of a grown composite, the enclosure provides a number of other unique functions. These include: gas exchange regulation, humidity regulation, humidity sensing, temperature sensing, and heat removal.

(94) FIG. 9 shows a filter disk 16 that is sized and calibrated to the shape and volume of the growth enclosure. This filter disk 16 allows the growing organism to respirate, releasing CO2 and up taking O2, without the exchange of other particles in the room. This disk 16 also allows some moisture to travel from substrate to the incubation environment, and vice versa. Typically, a filter disk system would be passive, designed to allow the correct respiration rate for the specific substrate, fungi type, and volume of material, growing within the enclosure. In some cases, where active control over an individual incubation environment is desired, a filter disk could have an aperture that is dynamically altered to slow or increase the rate of gaseous exchange with the incubation environment.

(95) FIG. 9 also shows a temperature control mechanism 17, comprised of a network of tubing 20 that can be used to remove or add heat to the enclosure. The growth of fungi relies on a decomposition reaction. Hence, in most cases where additional heat control is required beyond that provided by the convective interactions occurring along the exterior enclosures surface, it will be in the form of heat removal. A network of tubes or other heat exchange mechanism allows both more precise control over the amount of heat removed or added to the enclosure and allows an overall greater amount of heat to be removed or added to the growth enclosure in a shorter period of time.

(96) FIG. 9 also shows a temperature sensor 18 and humidity sensor 19. These sensors measure the internal temperature and humidity of the enclosure, respectively. This data can then be transmitted to a collection unit for analysis, or be used to alter the environment of the enclosure through the dynamic re-sizing of a filter disk aperture or through changes in temperature made possible through the temperature control mechanism.

(97) FIG. 10 shows a growth enclosure lid with a protrusion 21. When this lid is used in conjunction with a matching bottom growth enclosure, the protrusion 21 will effect the overall net shape of the enclosed volume producing features in the grown composite that relate directly to those in the lid, such as protrusion 21. Such a process was used to produce the composite shown in FIG. 8 where the lid, shown in FIG. 10 has a protrusion 20, that modifies the enclosed net volume of its growth enclosure producing a unique feature 12 within composite 10 (see FIG. 8).

EXAMPLE 7

An Acoustic Dampening Panel

(98) In accordance with the procedure outlined in Examples 1 and 2 and the particle and growth conditions outlined in Example 4, an acoustical dampening panel could be produced for use within the home, automobile, or other situation where sound attenuation is desired. This product would use a variety of bonded fibers and particles to produce panels with varying sound attenuation rates for a set range of frequencies.

EXAMPLE 8

A Rigid Firewall

(99) In accordance with the procedure outlined in Examples 1 and 2 and the particle and growth conditions outlined in Example 4, a firewall panel could be produced for use within the home, automobile, or other situation where fire protection is desired. In this panel the bonded particles would be composed primarily of Perlite, Rice Hulls, or Vermiculite.

EXAMPLE 9

Wall Panel with Molded FeaturesFIG. 16

(100) FIG. 11 shows a composite panel, produced in accordance with the production processes described in Examples 1, 2, & 3, with a static embodiment and composition similar to that described in Example 4.

(101) The panel that also includes a number of wall elements, such as a conduit 26, an electrical outlet 27 and wires 28, that are embedded in the composite material of the panel and have an end in communication with an exterior surface of the composite material. These elements are included within the panel during the growth processes in such a manner that they become part of the final monolithic composition. These elements may be selected from the groups comprising: generic conduit, electrical wiring, electrical outlets, light switches, sensors, temperature controls, window frames, door jams, heating conduit, or piping.

(102) Additionally, such elements may be positioned within the panel such that when panels are placed edge to edge the internal elements interface along the mating edge.

(103) Such a panel could be produced and sold as is, without additional processing, or could be combined with the stiff exterior faces, as described in Example 5, to produce a full section for use in assembling a home. Such a wall section could have all relevant elements included during growth such that final assembly would constitute only connecting matching panels and internal elements together.

(104) Alternative Substrates

(105) Organic materials can be implemented in the mycelium insulation growth process as insulating particles and the complex carbohydrate. Currently, insulating particles such as vermiculite or perlite are bound within the mycelium cellular matrix, but other natural materials have identical if not superior insulating characteristics, such as:

(106) Straw/Hay/Hemp: material is either woven into a mesh or laid within the slurry mixture, as the mycelium grows the material is bound forming an insulation panel with variable layer thickness.

(107) Wool/Cotton: the material is woven into a fibrous mesh or fragmented forming small insulating particles that a bound within the mycelium as it grows. The slurry can be applied directly to the mesh or the particles can be mixed in during the slurry production. The particle material can be grown or obtained from reused clothing that contains a large percentage of wool/cotton.

(108) Recycled sawdust can replace the current polysaccharide, which is a form of starch or grain, as the mycelium food source during the early growth stages. Sawdust can be collected from businesses that create the dust as a byproduct or from natural collections methods.

(109) The insulating particles can consist of new, recycled, or reused synthetic particles, which are already known to have insulating properties or leave a detrimental environmental footprint. Materials currently considered include:

(110) Foam Based Products: recycled and reused foam insulators or foam garbage, such as Styrofoam cup and packaging, which are broken into small particles of varying or congruent sizes and applied to the slurry. The foam material can be obtained from existing disposed of material or newly fabricated products.

(111) Rubber/Polymers: these materials can be found in a myriad of products, which can be reused after the desired life-cycle of the aforementioned product is reached. The material can be applied into the slurry as a ground particle or implemented as a structural member within the growth in various configurations.

(112) The invention thus provides a new method of producing grown materials. These materials may be flexible, rigid, structural, biodegradable, insulating, shock absorbent, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, non-flammable, an air barrier, breathable, acoustically absorbent and the like. All of the embodiments of this invention can have their material characteristics modified by varying the organism strain, nutrient source, and other particles, fibers, elements, or other items, included in the growth process.

(113) Further, the invention provides a composite material that can be used for various purposes, such as, for construction panels, wall boards, and the like where fire-resistant characteristics are required. Also, the invention provides a composite material that is biodegradable.

(114) The preferred method described above for killing the growing organism, i.e. a fungi, in order to stop further growth is by heating to above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, there are a number of other ways that this same task can be accomplished. These include (a) dehydratingby placing the mycelium bonded substrate in a low humidity environment; (b) irradiatingby using a technique similar to that found in food preservation; (c) freezingwherein the mycelium bonded substrate has its temperature lowered to below 32 degrees Fahrenheit; and (d) chemicallywherein the mycelium bonded substrate is exposed to a chemical known to cause cellular death in fungi including, but not limited to, bleach solutions, high concentrations of petrochemicals, and high concentrations of acids.