The FungiBio™ Process
Biology does the separation.
Fungi have evolved sophisticated enzymatic systems capable of breaking down plant-derived materials.
Cotton consists predominantly of cellulose. Selected fungi can produce cellulases, hemicellulases and associated enzymes that attack cellulose-rich fibers.
Polyester, by contrast, is a synthetic polymer and is substantially more resistant to the same cellulolytic enzyme systems.
FungiBio™ is developing a controlled process that exploits this biological difference.
How the Process Works
Feedstock Receiving & Characterization
End-of-life textiles are received, weighed, sampled, and characterized by fiber composition.
Natural and blended textiles suitable for biological processing are selected.
Sorting & Size Reduction
Buttons, zippers, and unsuitable materials are removed where necessary.
Selected textiles are shredded to increase surface area and improve fungal access to the fibers.
Conditioning
Moisture, pH, aeration and substrate structure are adjusted to establish conditions favorable for fungal growth.
Supplemental lignocellulosic materials may be incorporated where required.
Fungal Inoculation
Conditioned textile material is inoculated with selected cultures from the FungiBio™ biological library.
Colonization & Biological Conversion
Fungal hyphae spread throughout the textile matrix.
Extracellular enzymes interact with cellulose-rich fibers, progressively modifying and converting the natural-fiber fraction.
Separation & Product Recovery
Following biological conversion, residual synthetic fibers can potentially be separated from fungal biomass and remaining biological material.
Recovered biological material is characterized for potential downstream applications.
Residual Biomass Conversion
Suitable residual biomass may be processed through controlled pyrolysis to produce engineered biochar and potentially recoverable energy streams.
A Platform Rather Than a Single Product
The FungiBio™ Process is being developed as an integrated platform that can generate multiple potential products from material that might otherwise become waste.
This diversified approach may allow textile waste to generate value through several complementary pathways rather than depending upon a single end product.