High-Performance Engineered Composites Biofabrication Using Fungi.

Various natural polymers offer sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based adhesives, enabling the creation of high-performance engineered materials. However, additional chemical modifications and complicated manufacturing procedures remain unavoidable. Here, a sustainable high-performance engineered composite that benefits from bonding strategies with multiple energy dissipation mechanisms dominated by chemical adhesion and mechanical interlocking is demonstrated via the fungal smart creative platform.

Mycelium Composite with Hierarchical Porous Structure for Thermal Management.

High-performance porous materials with a low carbon footprint provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based lightweight foams and can help meet carbon neutrality goals. However, these materials generally face a trade-off between thermal management capabilities and structural strength. Here, a mycelium composite with a hierarchical porous structure, including both macro- and microscale pores, produced from multiple and advanced mycelial networks (elastic modulus of 1.

Improved Hydrophobicity and Dimensional Stability of Wood Treated with Paraffin/Acrylate Compound Emulsion through Response Surface Methodology Optimization.

Wood treatment was conducted by paraffin/acrylate compound emulsion. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for modeling and to determine the relationship between hydrophobicity and influencing factors. The results showed that the paraffin emulsion concentration and acrylate emulsion percentage had significant influences on water absorption (WA) and mass percentage gain (MG).

Preparation and Characterization of Superabsorbent Polymers Based on Sawdust.

Sawdust, a cheap by-product of the timber and forestry industry, was considered as a framework structure to prepare superabsorbent polymer with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM), the synthetic monomers. The effects of initiator content, crosslinker content, AA content, AM content, degree of neutralization of AA, and reaction temperature on the swelling rate of superabsorbent polymer were investigated. The synthesized polymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

How does Pickering Emulsion Pre-treatment Influence the Properties of Wood Flour and its Composites with High-Density Polyethylene?

Silica synergistically stabilized paraffin Pickering emulsion is applied to modify wood flour (WF) for preparing wood/polymer composites. The effect of Pickering emulsion on properties of the WF and its composites with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated. The impregnation of paraffin Pickering emulsion could significantly improve the WF dispersion in HDPE matrix, resulting in increased melt flow index (MFI).

Analysis on the Influence of Component Ratio on Properties of Silica/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites.

Silica/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites (SMCs) were prepared by generating SiO₂ nanoparticles on an MMT surface using an organic/inorganic hybrid technique with different ratios of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) to MMT (10:1, 20:1 and 40:1). The hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions were controlled by TEOS when it was incorporated into the internal space of the MMT. The delamination and intercalation of the MMT layers were closely related to the TEOS/MMT ratio.

How silanization influences aggregation and moisture sorption behaviours of silanized silica: analysis of porosity and multilayer moisture adsorption.

Based on the results of nitrogen adsorption and dynamic vapour sorption as well as analysis by the Hailwood-Horrobin (H-H) model, the effects of γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) on the agglomeration and moisture sorption properties of fumed silica particles were investigated. After adding various concentrations (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) of MPTS, different degrees of silanization were obtained by showing various ─OH group contents on the silica surface, which resulted in silica agglomerates with different porous structures. The bigger mesopores in the unmodified silica agglomerates became smaller and finally disappeared after MPTS modification and the Bruanuer-Emmett-Teller surface area decreased more gradually with an increase in MPTS concentration.

Longitudinal Mechano-Sorptive Creep Behavior of Chinese Fir in Tension during Moisture Adsorption Processes.

To provide comprehensive data on creep behaviors at relative humidity (RH) isohume conditions and find the basic characteristics of mechano-sorptive (MS) creep (MSC), the tensile creep behaviors, "viscoelastic creep (VEC)" at equilibrium moisture content and MSC during adsorption process, were performed on Chinese fir in the longitudinal direction under 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% RH (25 °C) and at 1, 1.3, and 1.6 MPa, respectively.

A potential mechanism for degradation of 4,5-dichloro-2-(n-octyl)-3[2H]-isothiazolone (DCOIT) by brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum.

This study aims to investigate the biodegradation of 4,5-dichloro-2-(n-octyl)-3[2H]-isothiazolone (DCOIT) by a brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum as well as the involved mechanism. In the present study, the retentions of DCOIT in treated Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) (MP) chips were determined periodically after incubation with G. trabeum.

Fungal variegatic acid and extracellular polysaccharides promote the site-specific generation of reactive oxygen species.

This study aims to clarify the role of variegatic acid (VA) in fungal attack by Serpula lacrymans, and also the generation and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the fungus. VA promotes a mediated Fenton reaction to generated ROS after oxalate solubilizes oxidized forms of iron. The fungal extracellular matrix (ECM) β-glucan scavenged ROS, and we propose this as a mechanism to protect the fungal hyphae while ROS generation is promoted to deconstruct the lignocellulose cell wall.

Effects of Modifier Type on Properties of in Situ Organo-Montmorillonite Modified Wood Flour/Poly(lactic acid) Composites.

Wood flour (WF) was modified with sodium-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and two types of surfactant modifiers, namely, didecyl dimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) though a two-step process inside WF. The thus-modified WFs were characterized, and the effects of MMT type on physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of their composites with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were investigated. The results showed: (1) either DDAC or SDS could modified Na-MMT into OMMT, and then uniformly distributed in WF cell walls; (2) OMMT improved the physical properties, most mechanical properties, and thermal properties of the composites except for the impact strength; and (3) compared with SDS, DDAC seemed to perform better in properties of composites.