MUMBAI, India, Sept. 14 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202611088549 A) filed by K. R. Mangalam University on July 21, 2026, for Fungal Chitin And Tannic Acid Biodegradable Leather-Substitute Material And Method Of Production.
Inventors include Ankit Sharma; Ar. Tulika Pahwa; and Indrajeet Kumar.
The application for the patent was published on September 11, 2026, under issue no. 37/2026.
Abstract: A biodegradable leather-substitute material and a method of producing it are disclosed. The material comprises fungal chitin cross-linked by tannic acid, the fungal chitin providing a structural polysaccharide matrix and the tannic acid cross-linking the chitin by phenolic interaction so as to tan the material and impart mechanical strength and dye affinity. The material is free of a synthetic polymer binder and is formed as a sheet, the tannic acid preferably being the sole tanning and cross-linking agent, and the material being dyeable by a natural dye fixed through phenolic groups of the tannic acid. The fungal chitin is preferably derived from mushroom-industry fungal waste. The material is made by culturing a fungus, pressing the fungal biomass into a sheet, tanning it with tannic acid without a synthetic cross-linker, and forming and dyeing the sheet, for upholstery, panels and accessories.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
