Keyword: «mold fungi»

Research and evaluation of biostability of polymeric composite materials to natural factors, such as microorganisms: mold fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes. Study of species diversity of biodegraders and methods of their identification.

The article presents the results of microbiological studies of samples of polymer composite materials placed at the climatic testing site in the city of Yakutsk. A strain of psychrotolerant aerobic spore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus was isolated from a fragment of basalt-plastic reinforcement. Its biochemical properties and morphological characteristics have been studied. It was found that the resulting strain has fungicidal activity to some species of mold fungi of the genus Aspergillus (A. niger and A. fumigates). This property of bacteria can be used to combat the bio-infection of PCM.

The microorganisms that cause biocontamination and bio-damage of experimental samples of polymeric composite materials exposed at the open range of climatic tests in Yakutsk were isolated. The landscape of isolated microorganisms is dominated by spore-forming bacteria p. Bacillus and mold fungi p. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor; occurs: Rhizopus, Chetomium, Scopulariopsis, Fusarium, Trichoderma, etc. It was shown that bacteria (mostly spore-forming) are better adapted to the polymeric substrate and pass from the spore to vegetative stage faster than mold fungi. The microorganisms isolated during the tests can serve as the basis for creating models of microbial consortia, as fungicidal additives to polymeric compositions that can be used to develop polymeric composites adapted to northern conditions.

Biological damage of polymer materials can be caused by various factors, such as bacteria, fungi, insects, exposure to chemical factors and the environment. In this work, the mechanisms of damage to materials under the influence of mold fungi of the genus Rhizopus are considered. The main causes of the destruction of polymer composites under the influence of biological factors, such as degradation of the polymer matrix, the release of toxic compounds, changes in the physical and mechanical properties of composites, are analyzed. The results of the study allow us to better understand the processes of bio-damage of polymer composites and develop measures to improve their stability in various operating conditions. This is of practical importance for creating more durable and stable polymer composite materials that can be used in a wide range of applications.