Steam explosion-treated mushroom substrate for robust and water-resistant wood composites

Despite its significant biomass content, mushroom substrate (MS) is often carelessly discarded as waste following the harvest of edible fungi. Therein, we harnessed the power of steam explosion (SE) to liberate fibers from discarded MS and substantially increase their surface area for improved binding. Consequently, we successfully fabricated robust and water-resistant wood composites via the hot pressing (HP) technique. Our research underscored the pivotal role played by the substantial lignin content (42.5 +/- 2.1%) within waste MS, reinforcing the wood composites and endowing them with exceptional resistance to water-resistant properties. The wood composite derived from waste MS yielded outstanding outcomes in internal bond strength, static bending strength, and thickness swelling, registering at 4.9 MPa, 28.0 MPa, and 30.6%, respectively. These discoveries present a pioneering approach for efficiently utilizing a significant amount of MS.