Method for producing grown materials and products made thereby

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material;
• and
• treating the formed self-supporting composite material by at least one of heating, irradiation, freezing dehydration and chemically to kill said fungus.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to, allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material;
• and
• wherein said fungus is selected from the group consisting of at least one of Pleurotus ostreatus, Agaricus arvensis, Ganoderma tsugae and Inonotus obliquus.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• placing said mixture in a cavity of predetermined shape in a form
• adding said inoculum to said mixture in said cavity;
• covering the form after adding said inoculum to prevent, exposure of the inoculum to sunlight;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material whereby the resultant self-supporting composite material adopts the shape of said cavity.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material;
• and wherein said steps are performed on a continuous basis to form an elongated self-supporting composite material.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles wherein said discrete particles are selected from the group consisting of at least one of vermiculite and perlite and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material wherein said mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material includes bulking particles and insulating particles, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture;
• adding elements to said mixture having a dimension 5 times larger than the mean diameter of the largest average particle size;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming a mixture of a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• placing said mixture in a cavity of predetermined shape in a form,
• placing a stiff sheet of material on said mixture;
• adding said inoculum to said mixture in said cavity;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material;
• whereby the resultant self-supporting composite material adopts the shape of said cavity with said stiff sheet bonded thereto.

A method of making a composite material comprising the steps of

• forming an inoculum including a preselected fungus;
• forming mixture of a substrate of discrete articles and a nutrient material, said nutrient material being capable of being digested by said fungi;
• placing said mixture in a cavity of predetermined shape in a form,
• placing a stiff sheet of material within said mixture;
• adding said inoculum said mixture in said cavity;
• and
• allowing said fungus to digest said nutrient material in said mixture over a period sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow said hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around said discrete particles thereby bonding said discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material;
• whereby the resultant self-supporting composite material adopts the shape of said cavity with said stiff sheet included therein.