Mycelial textured leather and method for its production, leather articles and automobiles

Abstract

The application relates to a mycelium texture leather, a preparation method thereof, a leather product and an automobile. The preparation method of the mycelium texture leather comprises the following steps: placing a strain in a liquid culture medium, arranging a vertically placed glass sheet above the liquid culture medium, controlling the temperature to be 25 DEG C to 30 DEG C, the relative humidity to be 80% to 95%, and keeping ventilation, culturing for 5 days to 7 days, and obtaining a complete mycelium film grown on the glass sheet; sequentially using dehydrating solvents with low to high concentrations to gradiently dehydrate the mycelium film, then soaking the mycelium film in a flexible agent solution for 6 h to 24 h, and obtaining a flexible mycelium film after the soaking is completed; wherein the dehydrating solvents comprise at least one of ethanol and acetone; laying the flexible mycelium film on a leather base material, and performing hot pressing treatment to obtain the mycelium texture leather. The preparation method of the mycelium texture leather is relatively simple in production process, and the prepared mycelium texture leather has unique natural texture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicles, in particular to a mycelium textured leather and a preparation method thereof, a leather product and an automobile. Background Art

[0002] Leather material is the largest, most frequently used, and most complexly evaluated surface material in leather products.

[0003] As sustainable design concepts continue to permeate more product categories, "vegan" leather, crafted from natural ingredients, is gaining popularity. Traditional leather textures are typically achieved through mechanical embossing or chemical treatment, which not only increases production costs but also potentially pollutes the environment. Furthermore, the texture of traditional leather is relatively fixed, failing to meet the personalized needs of today's consumers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a mycelium textured leather with unique texture and a preparation method thereof, leather products and automobiles.

[0005] This application is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0006] In one aspect, the present application provides a method for preparing mycelium textured leather, comprising the following steps:

[0007] The strain is placed in a liquid culture medium, and a vertical glass slide is placed above the liquid culture medium. The temperature is controlled at 25°C to 30°C, the relative humidity is 80% to 95%, and ventilation is maintained. After 5 to 7 days of cultivation, a complete mycelial membrane is obtained on the glass slide.

[0008] The mycelium membrane is dehydrated in a gradient manner using dehydrating solvents of increasing concentration, and then the mycelium membrane is immersed in a flexibilizer solution for 6 to 24 hours to obtain a flexibilized mycelium membrane; wherein the dehydrating solvent comprises at least one of ethanol and acetone;

[0009] The flexible mycelium film is laid on a leather substrate and subjected to heat pressing treatment to obtain mycelium textured leather.

[0010] The method for preparing the mycelium texture leather uses a vertically placed glass sheet as a support to make the mycelium vertically longitudinally grow on the glass sheet to obtain a mycelium film, and the glass sheet is arranged above the liquid culture medium without causing contamination to the culture medium, so that the vertical longitudinal texture naturally generated by the mycelium is used; then the mycelium film is treated by a dehydration solvent and a flexible agent solution to reduce the water content of the mycelium film and improve the flexibility of the mycelium film, thereby facilitating the reduction of damage to the mycelium film in subsequent hot pressing treatment and facilitating the maintenance of the integrity and uniqueness of the mycelium texture of the mycelium texture leather; and the mycelium film is combined on a leather substrate through hot pressing treatment to form a unique natural texture leather. The mycelium texture leather has unique natural texture, and the texture of each piece of leather is unique, which increases the beauty and uniqueness of the product.

[0011] In addition, the mycelium texture leather has excellent bending heat resistance.

[0012] The method for preparing the mycelium texture leather has a relatively simple production process and low cost, and is suitable for large-scale production. The mycelium texture leather material has a wide range of application scenarios and can be used to manufacture various leather products, such as wallets, handbags, automobile seats, automobile interiors, furniture and fashion clothes, etc.

[0013] In some embodiments, the strain includes at least one of umbrella-shaped and tree-shaped mycelium network. Further, a strain with higher, thicker umbrella-shaped or tree-shaped mycelium network is selected.

[0014] In some embodiments, the strain includes at least one of Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus, Tremella fuciformis, Armillaria mellea and Penicillium.

[0015] In some embodiments, the liquid culture medium includes at least one of potato dextrose medium and sabouraud medium; and / or,

[0016] The inoculation amount of the strain in the liquid culture medium is 1% to 5% by volume ratio.

[0017] In some embodiments, the number of glass sheets is one or more; and / or,

[0018] The distance between the lower end of the glass sheet and the liquid level of the liquid culture medium is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0019] The distance between the lower end of the glass sheet and the liquid level of the liquid culture medium is set to avoid contamination of the culture medium by the glass sheet, and further the distance should not be too large, otherwise the vertically longitudinally grown mycelium on the glass sheet cannot be obtained.

[0020] In some embodiments, the total volume content of ethanol and acetone in the low-to-high concentration dehydration solvent is 30% to 100%; and / or,

[0021] The dehydration time in the dehydration solvent at each concentration ranged from 15 min to 60 min.

[0022] In some embodiments, the flexibilizing agent includes at least one of glycerin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, santoline, and urea.

[0023] In some embodiments, the flexibilizer solution is an aqueous solution of a flexibilizer; and / or,

[0024] The mass volume concentration of the flexibilizer solution is (10~50) g:100 mL.

[0025] In some embodiments, the temperature of the hot pressing treatment is 50° C. to 70° C., the pressure is 1 MPa to 5 MPa, and the time is 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

[0026] In another aspect of the present application, a mycelium textured leather is provided, which is prepared using any of the preparation methods described above.

[0027] This mycelium-textured leather has a unique natural grain, and upon closer inspection, each piece of leather is unique, adding to the product's aesthetics and exclusivity. This mycelium-textured leather material has a wide range of applications, including the manufacture of various leather products such as wallets, handbags, car seats, automotive interiors, furniture, and fashion.

[0028] In another aspect of the present application, a leather product is provided, comprising the above-mentioned mycelium textured leather.

[0029] In another aspect of the present application, an automobile is provided, comprising at least one of the above-mentioned mycelium textured leather and the above-mentioned leather products.

[0030] The leather product and automobile of the present invention include the mycelium textured leather provided in this application, and thus have at least the same advantages as the mycelium textured leather. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention is described more fully below. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are provided herein. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms used in this specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] " scope " disclosed in the present application can be limited in the form of lower limit and upper limit, and given range is limited by selecting a lower limit and an upper limit, and the selected lower limit and upper limit define the boundary of special range. The scope limited in this way can be to include end value or not include end value, and any end value can be included or not included independently, and can be arbitrarily combined, that is, any lower limit can form a scope with any upper limit combination. For example, if the scope of 60-120 and 80-110 is listed for specific parameters, it is understood that the scope of 60-110 and 80-120 is also expected. In addition, if the minimum range value 1 and 2 listed, and if the maximum range value 3,4 and 5 are also listed, then the following scope can all be expected: 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-4 and 2-5. In the present application, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range " ab " represents the abbreviation of any real number combination between a and b, wherein a and b are all real numbers. For example, a numerical range of "0-5" indicates that all real numbers between "0-5" are listed herein, and "0-5" is merely an abbreviation for a combination of these values. Furthermore, when a parameter is expressed as an integer ≥ 2, this is equivalent to disclosing that the parameter is, for example, an integer of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, etc. For example, when a parameter is expressed as an integer selected from "2-10", this is equivalent to listing the integers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, “plurality” means two or more, unless otherwise clearly defined.

[0035] In one aspect of the present application, a method for preparing mycelium textured leather is provided, comprising the following steps S10 to S30.

[0036] S10. Place the strain in a liquid culture medium and place a vertical glass slide above the liquid culture medium. Control the temperature at 25°C to 30°C and the relative humidity at 80% to 95%, and maintain ventilation. After 5 to 7 days of cultivation, a complete mycelial membrane is obtained on the glass slide.

[0037] S20, sequentially using dehydrating solvents with low to high concentrations to gradiently dehydrate the mycelium film, and then soaking the mycelium film in a solution of a pliability agent for 6-24 hours, to obtain a pliable mycelium film after the soaking is completed; wherein the dehydrating solvents include at least one of ethanol and acetone.

[0038] Understandably, in step S20, the mycelium film can be directly placed on the glass sheet growing with the mycelium film in the dehydrating solvents, and then peeled off after the soaking is completed.

[0039] S30, laying the pliable mycelium film on a leather substrate, and performing heat pressing treatment to obtain a mycelium texture leather.

[0040] The above method for preparing the mycelium texture leather uses a vertically placed glass sheet as a support to make the mycelium grow vertically and longitudinally on the glass sheet to obtain a mycelium film, and the glass sheet is placed above the liquid culture medium without causing contamination to the culture medium, so that the vertical and longitudinal texture of the mycelium is naturally generated. Then, the water content of the mycelium film is reduced and the flexibility of the mycelium film is improved through the treatment of the dehydrating solvents and the solution of the pliability agent, which is conducive to reducing the damage of the mycelium film in the subsequent heat pressing treatment and maintaining the integrity and uniqueness of the mycelium texture of the mycelium texture leather. The mycelium film is combined with the leather substrate through heat pressing treatment to form a unique natural texture leather. The mycelium texture leather has a unique natural texture, and the texture of each piece of leather is unique, which increases the aesthetic and uniqueness of the product.

[0041] In addition, the mycelium texture leather has excellent bending heat resistance.

[0042] The preparation method of the mycelium texture leather has a relatively simple production process and low cost, and is suitable for large-scale production. The mycelium texture leather material has a wide range of application scenarios and can be used to manufacture various leather products, such as wallets, handbags, car seats, car interiors, furniture, and fashion, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the strain includes at least one of a strain of umbrella-shaped and tree-shaped mycelium network. Further, a strain with higher, thicker umbrella-shaped or tree-shaped mycelium network is selected.

[0044] In some embodiments, the strain includes at least one of Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus, Tremella fuciformis, Armillaria mellea, and Penicillium.

[0045] In some embodiments, the liquid culture medium includes at least one of a potato dextrose medium and a sabouraud medium.

[0046] In step S10, the incubation step is performed at a temperature of 25°C to 30°C and a relative humidity of 80% to 95%, with ventilation maintained for 5 to 7 days to allow complete mycelial growth. The temperature can be 25°C, 26°C, 28°C, or 30°C, or within a range consisting of any two of the aforementioned values. The relative humidity can be 80%, 82%, 85%, 90%, 92%, or 95%, or within a range consisting of any two of the aforementioned values.

[0047] In some embodiments, the inoculum amount of the strain in the liquid culture medium is 1% to 5% by volume. As an example, it can be 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, or within the range consisting of any two of the above point values ​​as end values.

[0048] In some embodiments, the number of the glass sheets is one or more. The number of the glass sheets can be set as needed, for example, according to the number of mycelia required.

[0049] In some embodiments, the distance between the lower end of the glass slide and the liquid surface of the liquid culture medium is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, for example, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, or a range formed by any two of the aforementioned values. The distance between the lower end of the glass slide and the liquid surface of the liquid culture medium is set to prevent the glass slide from contaminating the culture medium. Furthermore, the distance should not be too large, otherwise vertical mycelium growth on the glass slide will not be achieved.

[0050] Understandably, the glass slides were sterilized before use.

[0051] In some embodiments, before performing step S20, the mycelium obtained in step S10 is further gently washed with sterile water or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) to remove residual culture medium.

[0052] In some embodiments, the total volume content of ethanol and acetone in the low-to-high concentration dehydrating solvent is between 30% and 100%. For example, the low-to-high concentration dehydrating solvent includes dehydrating solvents having volume contents of 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, and 100%, respectively; the dehydrating solvent is an ethanol-water mixture or an acetone-water mixture. It should be noted that a volume content of 100% indicates the absence of water, and the dehydrating solvent is pure ethanol or pure acetone, or a mixture of ethanol and acetone.

[0053] In some embodiments, the dehydration time in each concentration of the dehydrating solvent is 15 min to 60 min, for example, 15 min, 20 min, 25 min, 30 min, 35 min, 40 min, 45 min, 50 min, 55 min, or 60 min, or within a range consisting of any two of the aforementioned values. Furthermore, the dehydration soaking time at each concentration step can be adjusted based on the thickness and water content of the mycelial membrane; for example, a longer time can be adjusted for thicker samples.

[0054] In some embodiments, the flexibilizer includes at least one of glycerin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, santoline, and urea. Soaking in the flexibilizer solution can enhance the pliability of the leather, thereby facilitating subsequent hot pressing and reducing mycelial membrane damage, thereby maintaining the integrity and uniqueness of the mycelial texture of the mycelial grain leather.

[0055] In some embodiments, the flexibilizer solution is an aqueous solution of a flexibilizer.

[0056] In some embodiments, the mass-volume concentration of the flexibilizer solution is (10-50) g:100 mL. For example, the mass-volume concentration of the flexibilizer solution is 10 g:100 mL, 20 g:100 mL, 30 g:100 mL, 40 g:100 mL, 50 g:100 mL, or within a range consisting of any two of the aforementioned values.

[0057] In some embodiments, after soaking in the flexibilizer solution, a drying step is included. Furthermore, after soaking in the flexibilizer solution, the following steps are included: removing the flexibilized mycelium membrane, gently absorbing excess solution from the surface with filter paper, and then placing the membrane in a thermostat controlled at 40°C to 50°C with ventilation until dry.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heat press treatment is performed at a temperature of 50°C to 70°C, at a pressure of 1 MPa to 5 MPa, and for a time of 5 minutes to 15 minutes. For example, the temperature may be 50°C, 60°C, or 70°C, or within a range between any two of the above values; the pressure may be 1 MPa, 2 MPa, 3 MPa, 4 MPa, or 5 MPa, or within a range between any two of the above values; and the time may be 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes, or within a range between any two of the above values.

[0059] In some embodiments, the method further comprises pre-treating the leather substrate before the heat pressing treatment. Further, the pre-treating step comprises the following steps: gently wiping the surface of the leather substrate with a clean soft cloth.

[0060] If the leather substrate is too smooth, use fine sandpaper (400-600 grit) to gently polish the surface to increase the surface roughness, thereby improving the adhesion of the mycelium film. If the leather substrate is grease-prone, wipe the synthetic leather surface with a solution containing ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. After treatment, allow the synthetic leather surface to air dry.

[0061] In some embodiments, the heat press treatment is performed using a hot press. Furthermore, the flexible mycelium membrane can be applied to one surface of the leather substrate. Furthermore, the flexible mycelium membrane can be applied to one or more areas of the leather substrate surface, including part or all of the surface, as desired.

[0062] In some embodiments, after the above step S30, the obtained mycelium textured leather may be subjected to necessary post-processing steps, including but not limited to coating, dyeing, etc., to improve the durability and aesthetics of the product.

[0063] Furthermore, a polyurethane touch coating is coated on the surface of the mycelium textured leather, which can improve the wear resistance, light resistance, aging resistance and other properties of the material surface.

[0064] In another aspect of the present application, a mycelium textured leather is provided, which is prepared using any of the preparation methods described above.

[0065] This mycelium-textured leather has a unique natural grain, and upon closer inspection, each piece of leather is unique, adding to the product's aesthetics and exclusivity. This mycelium-textured leather material has a wide range of applications, including the manufacture of various leather products such as wallets, handbags, car seats, automotive interiors, furniture, and fashion.

[0066] In another aspect of the present application, a leather product is provided, comprising the above-mentioned mycelium textured leather.

[0067] In some embodiments, leather goods include, but are not limited to, wallets, handbags, car seats, car interiors, furniture, and fashion.

[0068] In another aspect of the present application, an automobile is provided, comprising at least one of the above-mentioned mycelium textured leather and the above-mentioned leather products.

[0069] In some embodiments, the leather products in the car may be, but are not limited to, car seats and car interiors.

[0070] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more concise and clear, the present invention is illustrated by the following specific embodiments, but the present invention is by no means limited to these embodiments. The embodiments described below are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and can be used to describe the present invention. They should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0071] In order to better illustrate the present invention, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the following embodiments.

[0072] Example 1

[0073] 1. Strain selection: Choose Ganoderma lucidum.

[0074] 2. Preparation of mycelial membrane:

[0075] 2.1 Ganoderma lucidum strains were cultured in potato dextrose medium, with an inoculum concentration of 5% (by volume). Twenty sterile glass slides were prepared and placed vertically on the culture medium at 1mm intervals. The temperature (30°C) and relative humidity (95%) were controlled, and ventilation was maintained for 7 days until the mycelium was fully grown.

[0076] 2.2 Gently wash the mycelial membrane with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to remove residual culture medium.

[0077] 2.3 Use ethanol-water mixed solvent for gradient dehydration: soak in 30% ethanol-water mixed solvent by volume for 15 minutes, 50% ethanol-water mixed solvent by volume for 15 minutes, and 90% ethanol-water mixed solvent by volume for 30 minutes.

[0078] 2.4 Select a glycerol flexibilizer and soak the dehydrated mycelial membrane in a 50g / 100mL solution for 24 hours. After soaking, remove the mycelial membrane and gently blot the excess surface solution with filter paper. Place the membrane in a controlled incubator (40°C) with ventilation until dry.

[0079] 3. Preparation of mycelium textured leather:

[0080] 3.1 Use fine sandpaper (400 grit) to gently sand the leather (cowhide) surface to increase the surface roughness.

[0081] 3.2 Place the cleaned leather flatly on the lower mold of the hot press, lay the mycelium film obtained in step 2.4, adjust the temperature in the hot press to 50°C and the pressure to 3 MPa, and press for 5 minutes. Open the hot press and start hot pressing and compounding to form a composite leather with natural mycelium texture, i.e., mycelium texture leather.

[0082] After forming, a polyurethane surface coating is applied on the surface of the mycelium textured leather, which can improve the wear resistance, light resistance, aging resistance and other properties of the material surface.

[0083] Comparative Example 1

[0084] Comparative Example 1 directly uses the leather (cowhide) in Example 1.

[0085] Comparative Example 2

[0086] Comparative Example 2 is substantially the same as Example 1, except that step 2.4 is omitted and the dehydrated mycelium membrane is directly subjected to step 3.

[0087] The following is a performance test.

[0088] Performance testing:

[0089] (1) The tensile strength performance of the mycelium textured leathers prepared in the examples and comparative examples was tested. The tensile strength test was conducted in accordance with QB / T2710-2005.

[0090] (2) The appearance of the mycelium textured leathers prepared in the examples and comparative examples was evaluated, including the texture type evaluation and the texture natural integrity evaluation.

[0091] (3) The mycelium textured leathers prepared in the examples and comparative examples were subjected to a bending heat resistance test. Circular specimens with a diameter of 55 mm were cut, the base fabric was folded inward, and the folded edge was secured with staples or U-shaped clips. The specimens were placed in a 90°C heat aging incubator for 24 h, then removed and the surface condition of the folded area was evaluated.

[0092] The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0093] Table 1

[0094]

[0095] As can be seen from Table 1 above, the mycelium textured leather prepared in the present application has a unique mycelium texture, and the texture is natural and complete and has excellent bending and heat resistance. At the same time, the tensile performance of the product is stable, and the tensile strength is basically equivalent to that of the cowhide leather in Comparative Example 1, so it can meet the use requirements of the product.

[0096] In Comparative Example 2, the flexibilization soaking treatment step was omitted, so the mycelium texture leather obtained had a unique mycelium texture, but the mycelium texture was not natural and complete and cracks appeared, indicating that the mycelium membrane was relatively brittle and had poor bendability.

[0097] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0098] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present invention, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be based on the appended claims, and the description may be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for preparing mycelium textured leather, characterized in that: The steps include: The strain is placed in a liquid culture medium, and a vertical glass slide is placed above the liquid culture medium. The temperature is controlled at 25°C to 30°C, the relative humidity is 80% to 95%, and ventilation is maintained. After 5 to 7 days of cultivation, a complete mycelial membrane is obtained on the glass slide. The mycelium membrane is dehydrated in a gradient manner using dehydrating solvents of increasing concentration, and then the mycelium membrane is immersed in a flexibilizer solution for 6 to 24 hours to obtain a flexibilized mycelium membrane; wherein the dehydrating solvent comprises at least one of ethanol and acetone; The flexible mycelium film is laid on a leather substrate and subjected to heat pressing treatment to obtain mycelium textured leather.

2. The preparation method according to claim 1, wherein The strains include at least one of strains of umbrella-shaped and tree-shaped hyphae.

3. The preparation method according to claim 1, wherein The strain comprises at least one of Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus, Tremella fuciformis, Armillaria mellea and Penicillium.

4. The preparation method according to claim 1, wherein The liquid culture medium comprises at least one of potato dextrose medium and sand culture medium; and / or, The inoculation amount of the strain in the liquid culture medium is 1% to 5% by volume.

5. The preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The number of the glass sheets is one or more; and / or, The distance between the lower end of the glass slide and the liquid surface of the liquid culture medium is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.

6. The preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The total volume content of ethanol and acetone in the low to high concentration dehydration solvent is 30% to 100%; and / or, The dehydration time in the dehydration solvent at each concentration ranged from 15 min to 60 min.

7. The preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The flexibilizer includes at least one of glycerin, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, santoline and urea.

8. The preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The flexibilizer solution is an aqueous solution of a flexibilizer; and / or, The mass volume concentration of the flexibilizer solution is (10~50) g:100 mL.

9. The preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The temperature of the hot pressing treatment is 50° C. to 70° C., the pressure is 1 MPa to 5 MPa, and the time is 5 minutes to 15 minutes.

10. A mycelium textured leather, characterized in that: The method is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A leather product, characterized in that: The invention comprises the mycelium textured leather according to claim 10.

12. An automobile, characterized in that: The invention comprises at least one of the mycelium textured leather according to claim 10 and the leather product according to claim 11.

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