Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam Research Articles

Multi-stage oxic biofilm system for pilot-scale treatment of coking wastewater: Pollutants removal performance, biofilm properties and microbial community

A multi-stage oxic biofilm system based on hydrophilic polyurethane foam was established and operated for advanced treatment of coking wastewater, in which distinct gradient variations of pollutants removal, biofilm properties and microbial community in the 5 stages were evaluated. The system rapidly achieved NH4+-N removal efficiency of 97.51 ± 2.29 % within 8 days. The biofilm growing attached on the carriers exhibited high biomass (≥10.29 g/L), which ensured sufficient microbial population. Additionally, the rising extracellular polymeric substance and declining proteins/polysaccharides ratios across stages suggested a dense-to-loose transition in the biofilm’s structure, in response to the varying pollutant concentrations. The dominance of Nitrosomonas cluster in the first 3 stages and Nitrospira lineage in the following 2 stages facilitated the complete depletion of high NH4+-N concentration without NO2--N accumulation. Overall, the distinct biofilm property and community at each stage, shaped by the multi-stage configuration, maximized the pollutants removal efficiency.

The superiority of hydrophilic polyurethane in comammox-dominant ammonia oxidation during low-strength wastewater treatment

Carriers have been extensively employed to enhance nitrification performance during low-strength wastewater treatment by retaining slow-growing ammonia oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs). Still, there is a dearth of systematic understanding of biofilm properties and microbial community structure formed on different carriers. In this study, hydrophilic polyurethane foam (PUF) carriers were prepared and compared with five widely used commercial carriers, namely Kaldness 3, Biochip, activated carbon, volcanic rock, and zeolite. The results indicated that the biofilms formed on carriers enhanced microbial ammonia oxidation activity. Additionally, the biofilm developed on the PUF demonstrated the most superior performance among all selected carriers, not only exhibiting the highest abundant and the most active AOMs, with amoA gene abundance of 1.41 × 1013 copies/m3 and specific ammonia oxidation rate of 9.84 g NH4+-N/(m3 × h), but also possessing a compact structure, with 3.41 kg VSS/m3 and 46.83 mg extracellular polymeric substances/g VSS. The high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that the comammox (CMX) Nitrospira dominated on biofilm due to the intrinsically low apparent half-saturation constant for substrate. A unique ecological community structure was established on PUF, characterized by low species diversity and high homogeneity in alignment with community characteristics of CMX. The biofilms on PUF contributed to the proliferation of CMX Nitrospira dominated by Nitrospira nitrosa, achieving the highest proportion among colonial three AOMs at 86.58 %. The appropriate average pore size, superior hydrophilicity, and large specific surface area of PUF carriers provided a robust foundation for the exceptional ammonia oxidation performance of the formed biofilms.

Synthesis, characterization, and potential application of polyurethane foam as an effective alternative for dental aspiration substrate in liquid absorption/retention and mechanical properties

AbstractTooth extraction will leave a wound that may cause blood leakage, and the application of liquid‐absorbing hemostatic cotton pressed on the wound can play the effect of pressure to halt bleeding. Unfortunately, the loose structure of the dental absorbent hemostatic cotton causes local slag to fall. Cotton fiber will impede wound heading and possibly drop into the throat and esophagus, thus impacting the life and health of the patient. Therefore, it is of great significance to prepare a material with toughness and high liquid absorption. The polyurethane foams (PUFs) with different chain extension coefficients synthesized from polyether polyol and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) with water as the blowing agent have excellent toughness and liquid‐absorbing properties with potential applications. The hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) is introduced into the polyurethane chain segment to form a synergistic effect with the three‐dimensional foam network structure to absorb more wound exudate. The hydrophobic PUFs can be applied to wounds with less exudate and the hydrophilic PUFs can be applied to chronic wounds with more exudate. The porous structure gives the PUF a strong loading capacity and promotes the wound‐healing effect. The PUFs exhibit good liquid absorption/retention performance in both 0.9 wt% NaCl solution and DI water, especially PUF‐1.10 has an ultimate DI water absorbency of nearly 840%. According to the performance, comparison of the current market commonly used dental absorbent hemostatic cotton; PUF‐1.10 is considered a promising candidate for replacing traditional dental commercial absorbent hemostatic slag‐fall cotton in liquid absorption/retention and mechanical properties.

Wormlike Perovskite Oxide Coupled with Phase‐Change Material for All‐Weather Solar Evaporation and Thermal Storage Applications

Interfacial solar‐driven water evaporation has shown promising prospects in desalination technology. However, the lower photothermal conversion efficiency caused by the intermittent nature of sunlight and salt accumulation remains a significant challenge for continuous desalination. Herein, the hierarchical design of interfacial solar evaporation is reported, which realizes enhanced photothermal conversion, waste heat storage/release, and effective thermal management for continuous desalination. The solar evaporator is composed of worm‐like SrCoO3 perovskite oxide anchored on super hydrophilic polyurethane (PU) foam succeeded by in situ polymerization of conducting polypyrrole (SrCoO3@PPy). The energy storage system is introduced within polyurethane matrix by a paraffin block followed by a tongue‐and‐groove structure for convective water transportation, and a heat recovery unit largely reduces heat losses. The solar evaporator possesses excellent evaporation rates (2.13 kg m−2 h−1) along with 93% solar‐to‐vapor conversion efficiency under 1 kw m−2 solar irradiation owing to its minimum equivalent evaporation enthalpy and (0.85 kg m−2 h−1) under intermittent solar irradiation as compared to conventional solar evaporators. More importantly, state‐of‐the‐art experimental investigations validate waste heat recovery/release and the salt‐resistant capability of solar evaporators optimized by computational fluid dynamic simulation. This study breaks conventional solar interfacial evaporation's limitations and demonstrates stable desalination under intermittent sunlight.

Salt-resistant carbon dots modified solar steam system enhanced by chemical advection

Salt deposition still remains a significant challenge due to the decreasing evaporation efficiency of solar desalination. Herein, we provide a salt-rejection model coupled with the experimental verification about the chemical diffusion or advection process for solar steam generation. The designed evaporating system established by in-situ polymerization (polypyrrole) of carbon dots modified MnO2 nanowires coated on non-woven cotton fabric decorated ultra-flexible and super hydrophilic polyurethane foam (30% wicking). The salt-rejection investigations reveal real-time chemical advection phenomena where hot brine flows from the top surface to underneath water through a salinity gradient with the aid of accumulated heat. The prototype demonstrates an excellent salt rejection ability within a minimum record time (2 g/100 min) or once soaked (2 g/60 s). The floatable solar-driven evaporator exhibits incredible flexibility (80%, compressive strain) along with an evaporation rate of 1.68 kg m−2 h−1, and photothermal conversion efficiency (∼96.4%, solar to vapor) from high-salinity brine (10 wt %) and wastewater containing heavy metal ions (30 wt%). The outdoor test revealed a yield of 13.60 kg m−2 in one sunny day that provides a potential solution to single-step drinking water supply from various resources of the sea, lakes, and mixtures of emulsified oil, bacterial pathogens, and industrial wastewater.

Perawatan Luka Diabetes Mellitus Menggunakan Teknik Modern Dressing

Background: The most common complication in patients with diabetes mellitus tippe 2 (DM) is diabetic ulcers, where the tissue deformity occurs either partially (Partial Thickness) or completely (Full Thickness). If not handled properly and appropriately, ulcers can become infected. Where leg ulcers, infection, neuroarthropathy and peripheral artery disease are the causes of gangrene and lower limb amputations. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of wound healing in the treatment of diabetes mellitus wounds using modern dressing techniques. Methods: the literature review (LR) method uses meta-analysis where the data used is a database of searches using MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, Science Direct, Surgery Science and Sci-Hub. Reports published from 2010-2020 that focused on modern wound care dressings for wound healing of type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified. Results: Based on the analysis of the journal, there are nursing implications that have been compared from 10 journals, it was found that the treatment of type two diabetes mellitus wounds using modern dressing techniques is more effective in wound healing, by accelerating granulation and healing of the various types of dressings used, each of which has advantages. in terms of wound healing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: The use of modern dressing techniques is effective in wound healing in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus wounds. Researchers suggest that they be able to conduct research related to modern wound care dressings such as the use of alginate dressings, foam dressings, hydrogel dressings, moisture dressings, silver dressings, hydrophilic polyurethane foam dressings, acellular matrix dressings, and others related to wound care using modern dressing techniques. . Further research needs to be done by paying attention to the latest evidence-based practice journals to enrich knowledge about wound care with modern dressing techniques for diabetes mellitus wounds.

Highly Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam Dressing Versus Early Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam Dressing on Skin Graft Donor Site Healing in Patients with Diabetes: An Exploratory Clinical Trial.

To compare the effects of early hydrophilic polyurethane (EHP) foam dressing and highly hydrophilic polyurethane (HHP) foam dressing on wound healing in patients with diabetes. Twenty patients with diabetes with skin graft donor sites on the lateral thigh were enrolled in this study. Each donor site was divided into two equal-sized areas for the application of HHP or EHP foam dressing. The study endpoint was the time required for healing, defined as complete epithelialization of the donor site without discharge. All possible adverse events were also documented. Donor site healing was faster in 15 patients on the HHP half and 1 patient on the EHP half. In four patients, healing rates were the same between the HHP and EHP areas. Donor sites treated with HHP and EHP foam dressings healed in 17.2 ± 4.4 and 19.6 ± 3.7 days (P = .007), respectively. During the study period, no adverse event associated with the dressings occurred in either group. The HHP foam dressing might provide faster healing than EHP foam dressing for skin graft donor sites in patients with diabetes.

Enhanced nitrates-polluted water remediation by polyurethane/sepiolite cellular nanocomposites

Nanocomposite hydrophilic flexible polyurethane foams were prepared by in situ polymerization using an organomodified sepiolite as filler. The sepiolite affinity by nitrates dissolved in water was increased by treating them with quaternary ammonium salts (S-QAS), leading to remarkable nitrates maximum adsorption capacity (qmax = 23.30 mg/g). The Langmuir model well described the adsorption process of the nitrates by the modified sepiolite, and more remarkably, the sepiolite suffers no decrease of their nitrates removal capacity after being imbibed in the flexible polyurethane foam. The proper selection of the polyurethane chemistry allows significant contact between the polluted-water and the sepiolite, even when enclosed inside the cell walls. Accordingly, the as-prepared hydrophilic polyurethane/sepiolite foams provided a facile removal of nitrates-pollution from water, even actual nitrates-polluted water with a competitive adsorption environment, without the need to control or modify the pH and temperature of the polluted water neither to add further filtration steps to collect the active particles from the water.

Gangrena u radu lekara opšte medicine

Introduction: Gangrene is a condition of necrosis and tissue death, mainly caused by poor circulation. If it`s not recognized and treated early on it may end fatally. It`s one of the most severe complications in diabetic patients and is caused by poor diabetes control. Gangrene is the leading cause of amputation in developed countries with a subsequent disability and an increased mortality rate. Most of all, it affects a patient`s life quality but it also has a huge impact on health and social system. Case report: Male, 63, presents with dilapidated, wet gangrene of the right foot. The patient is a long term diabetic, on insulin, and lives in the rural area. His PCP (primary care physician) suggested sending him to a hospital, but the patient refused and wanted to be treated at home. The treatment started with a local application of the alginate-argent compresses and oral and local antibiotic therapy. The wound was cleaned regularly and antibiotic ointment was applied. Sharp debridement of the callus was performed so we could use compressed hydrophilic polyurethane foams in the early phase of wound healing. After sixteen months of treatment, the wound healed completely. Conclusion: The patient was treated by the PCP team and we used all the up-to-date equipment used for the treatment of the chronic wounds. They are easily used in the PCP setting. The treatment was long and hard, mostly due to the patient`s unsatisfactory socio-epidemiological and economic conditions. Most importantly, the patient refused to cooperate fully with his PCP, which is the crucial precondition for successful treatment. The primary health care (PHC) is an irreplaceable part of every health system and it may play an important role not only in gangrene prevention but its treatment, as well.

Exudate management and antisepsis in diabetic patients with problem wounds: two case reports

Exudate management and antisepsis in diabetic patients with problem wounds: two case reports Luinio S Tongson Dr. James G. Dy Wound Healing and Diabetic Foot Center, Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, Manila, Philippines Introduction: Two cases of large, infected, nonresponding wounds in diabetic patients successfully treated with the combined use of a three-layer, hydrophilic polyurethane foam dressing with SMARTPORE Technology™ and povidone-iodine formulations are reported. Objective was to provide optimized local wound bed preparation to prepare the wound bed for skin grafting.Presentation of cases: In case 1, a 76-year-old male presented with a 4-day history of bullae formation on the right leg due to necrotizing fasciitis. In case 2, a 65-year-old woman with a chronic right foot ulcer sought medical treatment.Main observations: In both cases, the combined use of the polyurethane foam dressing and the selective use of various povidone-iodine formulations provided good exudate absorption, lesser pain during dressing changes, infection control and reduced inflammation, thus enabling the successful management of chronic problem wounds in adult diabetic patients.Conclusion: These cases may further provide clinical data to show that this new polyurethane foam and povidone-iodine products can readily be used together and can be seen as compatible. Keywords: exudating wounds, polyurethane foam wound dressing, povidone-iodine, TIME framework, wound dressing, management of problem wounds, diabetes mellitus

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Highly Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam Dressing in Treating a Diabetic Foot Ulcer.

To demonstrate the efficacy of a highly hydrophilic polyurethane foam dressing in the treatment of diabetic ulcers. Diabetic foot ulcers often pose a difficult treatment problem. Polyurethane foam dressings have been used worldwide to accelerate wound healing, but only a few clinical studies demonstrate the effect of foam dressing on the healing of diabetic ulcers. Medical records of 1342 patients with diabetic ulcers who were admitted and treated at the authors' institution were reviewed. A total of 208 patients met the study's inclusion criteria. Of these 208 patients, 137 were treated with a highly hydrophilic polyurethane foam dressing, and 71 were treated with saline gauze (control group). Except for the application of polyurethane foam dressing, the treatment method was identical for patients in both groups. The wound healing outcomes of the 2 groups were compared. Complete wound healing occurred in 87 patients (63.5%) in the polyurethane foam dressing group and in 28 patients (39.4%) in the control group within 12 weeks (P < .05, X test). The mean percentage of wound area reduction in both groups was statistically significant (P < .05, Mann-Whitney U test). The mean time required for complete closure in patients who achieved complete healing within 12 weeks was 6.2 (SD, 3.4) weeks and 7.3 (SD, 2.6) weeks in the polyurethane foam dressing and control groups, respectively (P < .05, Mann-Whitney U test). These results indicate that the highly hydrophilic polyurethane foam dressing may provide an effective treatment strategy for diabetic foot ulcers.

Application of immobilized and granular dried anaerobic biomass for stabilizing and increasing anaerobic bio-systems tolerance for high organic loads and phenol shocks

This study focuses on the stability and tolerance of continuous-flow bioreactors inoculated with anaerobic methanogens in three different configurations: (R1) dried granular biomass immobilized in PAC-enriched hydrophilic polyurethane foam, (R2) dried granular biomass, and (R3) wet granular biomass. These systems were tested under two different organic loading rates (OLR) of 6.25 and 10.94 (gCOD/(Lreactor∗d)), using a glucose-based synthetic mixture. The effect of an instantaneous shock load of phenol (5g/L for three days), and of phenol inclusion in the feed (0.5g/L) were also tested. At the lower OLR, all reactors performed similarly, however, increasing the OLR lead to a significant biomass washout and failure of R3. Biomass in R1 was more tolerant to phenol shock load than R2, though activity was recovered in both systems after about one month. PAC provided protection and shortened the adaptation time for 0.5g/L phenol that continuously was fed.

Enriching composite hydrophilic polyurethane foams with PAC to enhance adsorption of phenol from aqueous solutions

This paper summarizes physical and mechanical properties of composite hydrophilic polyurethane (HPU) foams, which were enriched with various additives, including dry biomass; clay; and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The composite foams were proposed to be used as biomass immobilization matrices in bioreactors, for physical and biological purification of contaminants. Foam morphology were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The PAC-enrichment capacities of the foams were measured, and the maximal capacity was found to be of the control foam: 27mgPAC/cm3. Adsorption of phenol by enriched and non-enriched foams was investigated in batch experiments and adsorption results could be well described by a Langmuir model. The phenol adsorption capacity of the non-enriched foams was very low (2.8–5.4mg/g foam). However, this capacity was improved by 5.8–7.3 folds following the enrichment process. An additional finding was that upon enrichment of the foams by immersing in PAC aqueous solution, the maximal adsorption capacity of the adhered PAC on the foam was about 65% lower in average compared to free PAC, while when PAC is embedded in the foam during the polymerization process, it loses almost its entire adsorption capacity. The proposed PAC enrichment process is unique, effective and friendly for immobilized biomass.

The interfacial structure of polymeric surfactant stabilised air-in-water foams

Small-angle neutron scattering was used to probe the interfacial structure of nitrogen-in-water foams created using a series of tri-block polymeric surfactants of the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (EOx-POy-EOx) range, from which the nature of the polymeric interface could be characterised. The data follow a pronounced Q(-4) decay, along with a number of inflexions and weak but well-defined peaks. These characteristics were well-described by a model embodying paracrystalline stacks of adsorbed polymer layers, whose formation is induced by the presence of the air-water interface, adsorbed at the flat air-water (film lamellae) interface. A minimum of approximately five paracrystalline polymer layers of thickness of the order of 85-160 Å, interspersed with somewhat thicker (400 Å) films of continuous aqueous phase were found to best fit the data. The thickness of the layer (L) was shown to follow a relationship predicted by anchor block dominated polymer adsorption theories from non-selective solvents, L ∼ EO(1)PO(1/3). The insight gained from these studies should permit a more rational design of polymeric stabilisers for hydrophilic polyurethane foams.

The Effect of Spacer Yarn Arrangement on Compression Behaviors of Novel Flexible Foam-Core Sandwich Composites

In this study, a kind of novel flexible foam-core sandwich composite was involved. The flexible foam-core sandwich composites were fabricated based on 3D warp-knitted spacer fabrics. The foam-core was filled in the spacer fabric by using a kind of modified hydrophilic polyurethane foam. In order to investigate the effect of spacer yarn inclination angle on the compression behaviors. A compression test was carried out. The compression stress-strain curve was used to analyze the effect of 3D warp-knitted spacer fabric spacer yarn arrangement. According to the experiment results, it indicates that the spacer yarn arrangement could influence the anti-compression capacity of the sandwich composites obviously. Therefore, the spacer yarn arrangement of 3D warp-knitted spacer fabrics can be changed to meet specific end-use requirement for foam-core sandwich composites.

NOVEL DOSAGE FORM TARGETING VAGINAL ADMINISTRATION

Currently, treatments for vaginal infections are mostly given orally or subcutaneously. However, because of extensive first-pass metabolism, the exposure of unchanged drug to the vaginal mucosa (i.e. bioavailability) after oral or subcutaneous dosing may be as low as 2.92%. Meanwhile, ointments for external application may result in pain or hypersensitivity. To address these problems, we proposed a novel composite dosage form consisting of polyurethane (PU) foam and aquagel impregnated therewithin. The PU/aquagel dosage form was shaped into a circular pad having diameter of about 5 cm, which made it suitable for being inserted into the vagina (average diameter 3 cm) thereby acting directly on cells within the inflamed lesion. We had successfully developed hydrophilic PU foam with an excellent water retention rate of about 1674%, which may retain 6.5-fold water as compared to convention PU foam. The hydrophilic PU foam comprised inter-connected cells which allowed the continuous flow of the aquagel along the struts, thereby allowing the aquagel to reach the peripheral of the PU foam and directly contact the lesion site. In this way, it is possible to deliver active compounds dispersed within the aquagel to the lesion site without enzymatic degradation. The active compounds would biologically adhere to the vaginal mucosa, thereby providing a fast-releasing yet sustained treatment. We investigated the relationship between the viscosity of the aquagel and the gel retention rate of the hydrophilic PU foam. Several over-the-counter medications for treating vaginal infections were dispersed in the aquagel, and in vitro transmembrane penetration analysis was conducted to elucidate the transmembrane delivery rate thereof. The O/W gel containing acyclovir exhibited a bioavailability of 60.7% at 26 h after the treatment, which is 19.4-fold compared to that of the orally administered acyclovir. This finding suggested that the novel dosage foam may reduce the concentration of active compounds, thereby reducing their cytotoxicity to normal cells.

The mechanical properties of polyurethane foam wound dressing hybridized with alginate hydrogel and jute fiber

The purpose of this study is to fabricate a smart wound dressing by hybridizing hydrophilic polyurethane foam (PUF) and alginate hydrogel. Hydrophilic PUF is used to maintain damaged tissue in a moist environment. Despite its many strong points as a wound dressing, hydrophilic PUF cannot be loaded with ingredients such as growth factors and cytokines that would enhance wound healing. Therefore, we introduce a pH-sensitive alginate hydrogel with the ability to selectively release drugs within the pH range of wounded skin. Due to the small pore size of PUF and the high viscosity of the alginate solution, the two are not easily penetrable. As such, a vacuum method is used to insert alginate hydrogel into the PUF. The optimum conditions for the vacuum method chosen are to be proposed. However, the mechanical strength of PUF decreased after containing alginate hydrogel. Therefore, Na-alginate powder for PUF, various types of crosslinking agents and jute fiber for alginate hydrogel were introduced to improve the mechanical properties of hydrogel/PUF hybrid wound dressing. Three different types of crosslinking agents are used for the gel formation. The most suitable crosslinking agent and its concentration for alginate hydrogel is also determined by the experiments. The experimental results are discussed with proper schemes and reasonable explanations.

Modelling and optimization of ethyl butyrate production catalysed by Rhizopus oryzae lipase

Response surface methodology was used to model and optimise the production of ethyl butyrate, catalysed by Rhizopus oryzae lipase immobilised in a hydrophilic polyurethane foam. Experiments were carried out following a central composite rotatable design, as a function of reaction temperature (T: 22–38°C) initial butyric acid concentration (A: 0.031–0.619M) and initial molar ratio ethanol/acid (MR; 0.257–2.443). After 48h reaction time, the production of ethyl butyrate could be fitted to a surface described by a second-order polynomial model. A maximum ethyl butyrate concentration of 0.106M, corresponding to 47% conversion into ester and a productivity of 2.21μmole/mLh, is expected at initial reaction conditions of T, A and MR of 33°C, 0.225M and 1.637, respectively. This maximum was experimentally confirmed.

Esterification activity and operational stability of Candida rugosa lipase immobilized in polyurethane foams in the production of ethyl butyrate

Ethyl butyrate is a fruity flavor ester widely used in food and pharmaceutical products. The synthesis of ethyl butyrate in n -hexane, catalyzed by Candida rugosa lipase immobilized in two hydrophilic polyurethane foams (“HYPOL FHP 2002” and “HYPOL FHP 5000”) was performed. In this study, the effects of (i) the immobilization supports, (ii) the initial substrate concentrations and (iii) the water content of the system, on the activity and operational stability of C. rugosa lipase in both foams, during the esterification in continuous packed-bed reactor (PBR) and in repeated batches, were investigated. When low substrate concentrations were used, no deactivation was observed for both biocatalysts, along the continuous 30-d PBR operation. Conversely, under high substrate concentrations, a fast deactivation of the biocatalysts was observed. In consecutive batches, the deactivation was faster for the lipase in the less hydrophilic foam (“FHP 5000”) with a half-life of 53 h against 170.3 h for the other counterpart. Water molecules in the microenvironment did not present a deactivation effect on the biocatalysts. The low operational stability can be ascribed to the inhibitory effect of ethanol, which tends to accumulate inside the foams.

Cell Immobilization with Polyurethane Foam for Retaining Trichoderma reesei Cells During Foam Fractionation for Cellulase Collection

In situ affinity foam fractionation is a potential powerful tool for continuous, selective removal of products from bioprocesses. When evaluating its applicability to cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei fermentation, we encountered the difficulty of significant removal of fungal mycelia along with the cellulase. To solve this problem, cell immobilization using cut pieces of hydrophilic polyurethane (PU) foam was evaluated. Five commercial PU foams with different pore sizes and porosities were tested. Two were found to support good cell growth, cellulase production, and cell loading (about 0.6 g dry cells per g PU). The PU-immobilized mycelia were successfully retained in the foaming process.