Desarrollo de cuero en base al micelio de los hongos Ganoderma lucidum y Pleurotus ostreatus con sustratos agroindustriales como alternativa al cuero animal

Abstract

The tanning industry, being a high-demand sector, generates negative impacts that directly affect public health and ecosystems. Leather is a flexible material treated through physical and chemical processes to enhance its durability. The waste generated by the tanning and agricultural industries currently presents environmental challenges. This study focused on developing a leather substitute based on the mycelium of fungi Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus, using agro-industrial residues as substrate. The research analyzed the physico-mechanical properties, including radial and mycelial growth rates, tensile strength, elongation rate, and stress of each sample. The best performance was achieved by the mycelium-based leather derived from Pleurotus ostreatus using a 50% straw and 50% sawdust combination, which demonstrated a mycelial growth rate ranging from 39.31% to 45.91%, confirming its effectiveness as a raw material for producing a leather substitute. The most significant results were observed after plasticizing with organic resins, pressing, and drying processes. Additionally, the samples generally exhibited a tensile strength of 10.06 MPa, comparable to traditional leather. Tear resistance reached 1487.96 N/cm². Consequently, high-density mycelium has been shown to be suitable for leather substitute production. In this context, it is concluded that the development of leather substitutes using fungal mycelium and organic waste contributes to waste reduction and environmental pollution mitigation.