Basic Research of Material Properties of Mycelium-Based Composites

The subject of this research is growing mycelium-based composites and exploring their basic material properties. Since the building industry is responsible for a large amount of annual CO emissions, rethinking building materials is an important task for future practices. Using such composites is a c...

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Published inBiomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 7; no. 2; p. 51
Main Authors Vašatko, Hana, Gosch, Lukas, Jauk, Julian, Stavric, Milena
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 21.04.2022
MDPI
Subjects
Architecture
bio-composites
Biomass
Carbon
Carbon dioxide
Cellulose
Compression
Contemporary problems
Design
Emissions
Experiments
growth
Lignocellulose
materials science
Mechanical properties
Mycelia
mycelium
Population growth
Sawdust
mycelium
bio-composites
growth
materials science
mechanical properties
architecture
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Summary:The subject of this research is growing mycelium-based composites and exploring their basic material properties. Since the building industry is responsible for a large amount of annual CO emissions, rethinking building materials is an important task for future practices. Using such composites is a carbon-neutral strategy that offers alternatives to conventional building materials. Yet, in order to become competitive, their basic research is still needed. In order to create mycelium-based composites, it was necessary to establish a sterile work environment and develop shaping procedures for objects on a scale of architectural building elements. The composite material exhibited qualities that make it suitable for compression-only structures, temporary assemblies, and acoustic and thermal insulation. The methodology includes evaluating several substrates, focused on beech sawdust, with two mycelium strains ( and ), density calculations, compression tests, three-point flexural tests and capillary water absorption. The results of this study are presented through graphical and numerical values comparing material and mechanical properties. This study established a database for succeeding investigations and for defining the potentials and limitations of this material. Furthermore, future applications and relevant examinations have been addressed.
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ISSN:2313-7673
2313-7673
DOI:10.3390/biomimetics7020051