Nanoemulsions for internal humectation of mycelium-based textiles

Abstract

Described herein are oil-in-water (o/w) nanoemulsions for internal humectation of mycelium-based textiles using fatty acids of vegetable origin and/or their synthetic derivatives and non-ionic surfactants. These nanoemulsions may be used as fatliquoring solutions in materials based on fungal mycelium, bacterial recombinant proteins, plant-based textiles, and/or other materials used as animal leather substitutes, including its potential use as environmentally friendly (e.g., “green”) and cost-effective fatliquoring alternative for animal leather. Also described are methods and apparatuses for scaling up, recovering, and reusing nanoemulsions. The nanoemulsion fatliquoring compositions and methods described herein may reduce frictional forces, improve tensile strength and elongation at break, introduce softness, and protect mycelium-based textile material against cracking.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mycotextile comprising:
 one or more crosslinked mycelium layers having a plurality of nanoparticles within the one or more crosslinked mycelium layers, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are functionalized to crosslink chitin/chitosan within hyphae of the one or more crosslinked mycelium layers; and   an oil-in-water nanoemulsion coating the hyphae of one or more crosslinked mycelium layers.   
     
     
         2 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the oil-in-water nanoemulsion comprises a vegetable-based oil phase surrounded by a nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         3 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of nonionic surfactant to vegetable-based oil is between 1:2 and 1:15. 
     
     
         4 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises more than 85% saturated fatty acids. 
     
     
         5 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises coconut oil. 
     
     
         6 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises one or more of coconut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. 
     
     
         7 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises one or more synthetic derivatives of vegetable oils. 
     
     
         8 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises cetearyl ethylhexanoate; octanoic acid, 1,3-propanediol ester; 2,2′-[oxybis(methylene)]bis [2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol] decanoate. 
     
     
         9 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises one or more natural waxes. 
     
     
         10 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable-based oil phase comprises beeswax and/or lanonil waxes. 
     
     
         11 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises one or more of polyoxyethylene, a polyoxyethylene derivative, polyoxypropylene, a polyoxypropylene derivative, sorbitan anhydride, a sorbitan anhydride derivative, an alkanol amide, and a nonionic fat. 
     
     
         12 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant comprises one or more of polysorbate 20, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate, glyceryl monooleate, polysorbate 80, sorbitan monolaurate, polysorbate 80, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate, hydrogenated and ethoxylated castor oil, and glyceryl monostearate. 
     
     
         13 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic comprises a hydrogenated castor oil. 
     
     
         14 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoemulsion droplets have a mean droplet diameter of 20-35 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The mycotextile of  claim 1 , wherein the oil-in-water nanoemulsion comprises an oil-based fragrance. 
     
     
         16 . A mycotextile comprising:
 A support scaffold layer;   a first crosslinked mycelium layer extending adjacent to the first side of the support scaffold layer, and a second crosslinked mycelium layer extending adjacent to a second side of the support scaffold layer;   a plurality of nanoparticles within the first and second crosslinked mycelium layers, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are functionalized to crosslink chitin/chitosan within hyphae of the first crosslinked mycelium layer and the second crosslinked mycelium layer; and   an oil-in-water nanoemulsion coating the hyphae of the first and second crosslinked mycelium layers.   
     
     
         17 . An oil-in-water nanoemulsion composition for fatliquoring a textile material, the composition comprising:
 between 0.1% and 5% of a vegetable-based oil phase; and   between 1% and 10% of a nonionic surfactant, wherein the nanoemulsion comprises droplets of the vegetable-based oil surrounded by the nonionic surfactant and dispersed within a continuous water phase.   
     
     
         18 . An oil-in-water nanoemulsion composition for fatliquoring a textile material, the composition comprising:
 a vegetable-based oil comprising 85% or more saturated fatty acids; and   a nonionic surfactant, wherein the surfactant to oil (O:S) ratio is between 1:2 and 1:15, and the composition comprises between 0.1% and 5% of vegetable-based oil, further wherein the nanoemulsion comprises droplets of the vegetable-based oil surrounded by the nonionic surfactant and dispersed within a continuous water phase.