Muskin
id card
Mushroom skin
composition
Chitin
building blocks
Organic
material origin
Sheets
shape
3 – experimental POC
TRL
The mushroom peel comes from the Phellinus ellipsoideus, a kind of big inedible parasitic fungus native to subtropical forests that feeds on the tree trunks, making them putrefy.
Properties
Thickness 0,5~1 cm
MuSkin‘s soft surface has a “touch” very similar to suede-like products and its consistence, or texture, goes from soft to slightly harder as cork. The total absence of toxic substance makes Muskin ideal for the use in close-to-skin applications and thanks to its very natural origin and to the presence of endemic penicillins, it limits bacteria proliferation. Muskin is transpiring, it has the capacity to absorb moisture and then to release it in a short time, just like a fabric. It is not waterproof in its natural form, but it can be treated with eco wax. In general the material may have a not homogeneus surface. Every piece is a unique product from our Earth. It tends to tear apart on tearing and it suffers on abrasion. For bags samples we have (made by some specialized artisans in 2008), after 10 years we did not notice any surface alteration of the material. So, as far as we know, MuSkin is a quite durable material over time.
Cyclability
APPLICATIONS
Couple or laminate MuSkin with other backing materials, for instance a fabric or paper to increase its mechanical strength. Apply Vliseline with 120 °C heat and compression for about 15~20 sec. The above treatment also compacts the structure of MuSkin and helps on minimizing its thickness. All the treatments used for animal leather work on MuSkin too. We use to laminate MuSkin with Lyocell (a fabric realized from wasted cellulose) and we can offer such lamination as a service. It is not waterproof in its natural form, but it can be treated with eco wax. Footwear, coats, bags, hats, interior softgoods, small accessories. Basically, it can be used to manufacture all the products that come into contact with the skin, because it doesn’t trigger allergic reactions. Enhance abrasion with natural treatments like the Carnauba oil. It cat be splitted (with machines used also for animal leather). We managed to split it up to 1,5mm and we can offer this as a service.
Like suede, when wet, MuSkin becomes more fragile and can suffer tearing more than in dry state. So we advise to clean it just like suede. However when dried, MuSkin (it dries like a fabric) regains its properties completely.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Foam
Production process
Once extracted Muskin is made by slicing and pressing pieces of the Phellinus ellipsoideus mushroom. Although it can be attached to a backing, sealed, or dyed, the company normally sells pieces without any chemical processing.
Manufacturing facts
40-50 sqm per month
production time
It is not clear who the manufacturer is. Tell me if you know!