The mycelium
PACPCM: packaging that sacrifices for you!
Our project is called PACPCM, this acronym recalls the union of two products present on the market: packaging as protective packaging of products and PCM phase change material (Phase Change Materials) capable of controlling the temperature of the product contained in the packaging during transport and storage.
PACPCM aims to bring innovative and totally green packaging to the market, which goes beyond the classical packaging solutions that are often polluting and non-ecological. Many companies, stimulated by green deal policies and the development of the green economy, are in fact looking for alternative packaging solutions with fully eco-friendly characteristics.
The proposed packaging solution can be placed inside cardboard boxes containing products that need to be kept at a certain temperature during transport and storage. PACPCM's product provides mechanical impact protection and thermal protection as an insulator, and is also fully compostable, recyclable and environmentally friendly.
PACPCM's packaging combines two technologies that already exist but have not yet been combined on the market:
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The innovative biomaterial mycelium; through the growth and subsequent drying of a particular fungus Ganoderma lucidum, a natural, totally compostable material with excellent mechanical and insulating properties is obtained. The mycelium can be grown on agricultural waste substrates, further contributing to environmental sustainability and circularity.
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PCM (Phase Change Material) technology is coupled with this material. By integrating phase change materials into the packaging, it is possible to ensure that a constant temperature is maintained within the packaging. PCMs absorb and release thermal energy through the melting and solidification process, thereby stabilising the internal temperature of the product contained in PACPCM.
The main advantages of the proposed packaging are primarily due to its ecological sustainability. Thanks to the use of biodegradable and compostable materials, the environmental impact is reduced if not zero. With the integration of PCM, the proposed packaging is able to maintain the temperature of the contained products in optimal conditions. It is adaptable to customer requirements; the packaging produced by PACPCM can be made in any shape and adapted to the different thermal requirements of a wide range of products.
The packaging proposed by PACPCM is undoubtedly an innovative and avant-garde solution that responds to the growing market demand for green and sustainable products.
Our
PACPCM TEAM
There are 5 promoting entities, each with the characteristics necessary for the realization of the proposed project
How the idea was born
The idea of adding mycelium biomaterial with PCM started in the training rooms of UNIFE's TekneHub laboratory.
Giulio and Luca, after several years of study, tests and trials, obtained a product with good mechanical properties and set up a small plant to start producing mycelium objects. In 2023 they founded the startup L-ife srl, the newly established company holds the licensing for the use of the mycelium patent and currently produces various objects in this biomaterial. Prof. Bottarelli, then Supervisor of Luca's PhD course, learns of their activity and in December 2023 invites Luca and Giulio to present this biomaterial to his students in the Energetics for Design course, as part of a lecture in the Industrial Product Design degree course. It was during this presentation that, in the context of the discussion on product innovation and for the specific skills of each, the idea of adding the biomaterial Mycelium with PCM was sparked off. The objective, clear from the outset, was to create a further product that would be even more innovative, high-performance and unique on the market.
Knowing the ferment that revolves around the green deal, from the outset it seemed a winning intuition to everyone. The study of the numbers and the potential market then gave solidity to the idea of continuing testing in order to launch PACPCM onto the market shortly.
We are already able to produce compostable packaging products in mycelium. We are making packaging prototypes with different types of PCM in combinations and quantities in order to evaluate those with the best performances.
We already know the production technology; the growth system and therefore the production of mycelium packaging products is carried out at temperatures of 20-24 degrees. This range allows the growth of the fungus hyphae literally around the granules of solid PCM products creating a closed capsule volume. The PCM contained in the packaging, if subjected to high temperatures, reacts by melting without changing the external shape of the PACPCM packaging, solidifying again when the temperature drops. The phase change process guarantees thermal absorption capable of protecting the internal contents of the package from temperature changes that would alter the product; a sort of thermal shock absorber.
Products PCM
Mycelium products are on the world market and are considered to be extremely interesting because they can be produced from waste, are totally biodegradable and are able to subtract CO2. During the growth phase, in fact, the mycelium literally digests the substrate fibres, metabolising the CO2 and generating compost. At the end of its life, the product can be dispersed into the environment, bringing the CO2 from the waste wood fibres back into circulation as nutritious organic carbon.
It is important to emphasise that the production process of mycelium materials is said to be CO2 negative; unlike what traditional production processes do, i.e. release CO2 into the environment causing the greenhouse effect and cascading other well-known problems, during its growth the mycelium removes CO2 from the environment and reduces the amount in the atmosphere.
The addition of PCM such as fatty acids or other fully compostable organic products does not alter the characteristics and properties of the mycelium but on the contrary increases the performance and attractiveness of this product on the market.
The classic PCM products widely known and used in the pharmaceutical industry are extremely expensive and non-recyclable because they use hydrated salts or paraffins encapsulated in plastic casings which are in turn coupled with a polystyrene-type thermal insulator. Such packaging can be impactful and impossible to recycle in classic household waste streams.
The packaging of PACPCM also has certain characteristics on which solutions must be found. For example, the production and therefore sales costs are higher than for traditional packaging, so it is necessary to find production mechanisation solutions that reduce the sales cost or to find markets capable of bearing these costs. The great development of biomaterials as a result of the green deal could also bring in new competitors and thus jeopardise the novelty introduced by PACPCM. If the proposed packaging solution is to be appreciated by the end user, it must be explained and this requires an additional communication effort, obviously if this is effective, it will be a plus for the product sold.
