Environmentally friendly cannabis substitute
Biocomposites based on mycelium and hemp fire can potentially become a material for a wide range of applications - packaging and protective materials, acoustic panels, decor and interior elements. Low cost of raw materials makes it made of the products cost competitive with synthetic packaging materials, such as polystyrene and polyethylene.
The pages of the profile electronic publication of Ukrainian hemp breeders have repeatedly described the technologies for using hemp raw materials in the production of biocomposite materials or in the construction business . The information presented below relates to technology that is at the junction of the two above-mentioned areas of production. In particular, the data presented in the article relate to an innovative approach to the most efficient use of hemp fire and mushroom mycelium, as well as technology , using which it is possible to produce environmentally friendly materialaccording to characteristics similar to polystyrene. Only unlike polystyrene, which requires 500 years for decomposition, products from hemp raw materials at the end of their service life completely decompose in the earth in a few months, without harming the environment.
The secret of the material lies in the nature of the fungal mycelium to bind with its fibers particles of the substrate in which it grows. Mycelium is the root system of the fungus in the form of white branching filaments, with the help of which the fungus easily penetrates into the internal tissues of the substrate (hemp fire), drawing water and nutrients. Hemp fibers bind to chitin - a natural plastic made by mushrooms, similar to what crab shells are made of. Together they act as glue holding the substrate together in a durable and biodegradable material .
Biocomposites based on mycelium and hemp fire can potentially become a material for a wide range of applications - packaging and protective materials, acoustic panels, decor and interior elements. Low cost of raw materials makes it made of the products cost competitive with synthetic packaging materials, such as polystyrene and polyethylene.
Technical characteristics of materials based on mushroom mycelium and hemp campfire - light weight, reliable cushioning effect, frost resistance, hydrophobicity, heat resistance, non-combustibility.
Over the past few years, material based on hemp bonfire and mushroom mycelium has become very popular in the United States and Europe , so the demand for it is constantly growing . Many Fortune 500 companies plan to pack their products in eco-packaging (including hemp), completely abandoning synthetic materials.
Commentary experts of the Association "Ukrainian industrial hemp"
The above technology for creating hemp biocomposites is also being implemented in our country . In particular, the national startup “S.Lab” launched the industrial production of hemp fire and mushroom mycelium products. The main areas of application of this kind of hemp biocomposite at the moment in Ukraine are eco-packaging , the creation of various kinds of decoration elements , as well as the use of environmental insulation in the construction business . The prospects of using biocomposite materials made on the basis of hemp raw materials were discussed in the framework of the round table “ Hemp raw materials - technologies for its use in construction, production of biocomposite materials and furniture ”, which was held in November 2020 as part of the “ Hemp University ”.
Products made from Ukrainian hemp biocomposite