Micelij gljiva kao okolišno prihvatljiva alternativa plastici

undergraduate thesis

• Title (english): Fungal mycelium as an environmentally acceptable alternative to plastic
• Author: Dora Dubravac
• Mentor: Marin Ježić (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Biology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2023-09-11, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Biology

Abstract

Rastuća zabrinutost zbog okolišnih, ali i zdravstvenih posljedica uporabe plastike, polimernih materijala
dobivenih iz neobnovljivih izvora poput nafte, potaknula je znanstvenike da istraže održive i okolišno
prihvatljive alternative za ove materijale. U širokom izboru biomaterijala, koji zahtijevaju manji utrošak
energije prilikom proizvodnje i koji su biorazgradivi, izdvajaju se kompoziti sačinjeni od micelija
(Mycelium Based Composites), MBC. Kompoziti sačinjeni od micelija dobiveni su kombiniranjem različitih
vrsta gljiva s poljoprivrednim ostacima, primjerice pšenicom ili konopljom, koji čine supstrat za rast
micelija gljiva. Odabrane vrste uglavnom pripadaju tzv. gljivama bijele truleži, a rodovi Pleurotus i
Ganoderma najčešće se koriste za uzgoj. Odabir supstrata, vrste gljive, kao i kontroliranje uvjeta rasta
tijekom procesa proizvodnje MBC-a uvjetuje nastanku raznolikih biorazgradivih materijala koji po
mehaničkim svojstvima mogu biti konkurenti plastičnim proizvodima. Potencijal primjene micelijskih
materijala vidljiv je posljednjih nekoliko godina u raznim studijama i primjenama, primjerice u ambalažnoj
i građevinskoj industriji, a tvrtke poput Ecovative sa svojim jedinstvenim proizvodima utiru put na tržištu.
U konačnici, istraživanja sugeriraju da kompoziti sačinjeni od micelija imaju izvanredan potencijal da
postanu alternativa plastici, no daljnja istraživanja su potrebna kako bi se ostvario puni potencijal ovih
materijala.

Abstract (english)

Growing concern about the environmental and health impacts of the use of plastic, a group of materials
made of polymers and obtained from non-renewable sources such as oil, has encouraged scientists to
investigate sustainable and environmentally acceptable alternatives to these materials. Among the wide
selection of biomaterials, which require less energy during production, and are biodegradable, myceliumbased composites or MBCs stand out. MBCs are obtained by combining different types of mushrooms with
agricultural residues, for example with wheat or hemp, which form the substrate for the growth of mushroom
mycelium. The selected species mostly belong to white rot fungi, and the genus Pleurotus and Ganoderma
are most often used for cultivation. The selection of the substrate, the type of mushroom, as well as the
control of growth conditions during the production process of MBCs allows for the creation of diverse
biodegradable materials that can compete with plastic products in terms of mechanical properties. Mycelial
materials have been showing their potential for the past few years in various studies and applications, for
example in the packaging and construction industry, while companies like Ecovative are paving the way on
the market with their unique products. Ultimately, research suggests that composites made of mycelium
have extraordinary potential to become an alternative to plastics, but further research is needed to realize
the full potential of these materials.

• Keywords: MBC; polistiren; Ecovative; Pleurotus; mikroplastika
• Keywords (english): MBC; polystyrene; Ecovative; Pleurotus; microplastic
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:981371
• Study programme: Title: Environmental Sciences; Study programme type: university; Study level: undergraduate; Academic / professional title: sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) struke znanosti o okolišu (sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) struke znanosti o okolišu)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Embargoed access; Embargo expiration date: 2025-05-11
• Created on: 2023-09-12 11:34:07