Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Leather-like Materials from Mushroom Mycelia using Chemical Modification

Abstract

Leather-like materials from mushroom mycelia are produced by mycelial cultivation in agricultural waste, comparable to animal leather and environmental friendly. Chemical modification is a key approach to improve mechanical strength and tailoring material properties for practical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of chemical treatments on improving the mechanical properties of mycelium-based leather substitutes. In this work, sawdust, an agricultural waste material, was used as a substrate for cultivating wild mushroom mycelium (Lentinus sp.), strain KU091, to produce leather-like materials. Chemical modification was performed by comparing 4% NaOH and 75% ethanol for the deacetylation process, and 10% citric acid and 5% tannic acid for the cross-linking process. Tensile testing results showed that the combination of treatment 4% NaOH and 10% citric acid yielded the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 4.49 MPa and a strain at maximum of 4.1 %, outperforming all other experimental conditions. These findings demonstrate that treatment with 4% NaOH and 10% citric acid effectively enhances the mechanical properties of leather-like materials from mushroom mycelia.