Material Function of Mycelium-Based Bio-Composite: A Review

Yang, Libin; Park, Daekwon; Qin, Zhao

doi:10.3389/fmats.2021.737377

Cited by 89 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 108 publications

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“…Their ability to degrade and transform lignocellulosic substrates into composite materials is unique in nature and attracted a lot of interest recently [ 1 , 2 ]. In several interdisciplinary endeavours, fungal bio(techno)logists, designers, process engineers and material scientists have collaborated to turn by-products from agriculture and forestry with the help of basidiomycetes into composite materials as highlighted in recent reviews [ 3 – 5 ]. The vision is surprising and fascinating, yet plausible and thus hopefully achievable in the near future: Plastics, foams, textiles and other materials derived from petroleum-based resources could soon be functionally replaced by a new class of biomaterials produced by fungal biotechnology [ 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials

Pohl

Schmidt

Guitar

et al. 2022

Fungal Biol Biotechnol

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Background Filamentous fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota are considered as an attractive source for the biotechnological production of composite materials. The ability of many basidiomycetes to accept residual lignocellulosic plant biomass from agriculture and forestry such as straw, shives and sawdust as substrates and to bind and glue together these otherwise loose but reinforcing substrate particles into their mycelial network, makes them ideal candidates to produce biological composites to replace petroleum-based synthetic plastics and foams in the near future. Results Here, we describe for the first time the application potential of the tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius for lab-scale production of mycelium composites. We used fine, medium and coarse particle fractions of hemp shives and rapeseed straw to produce a set of diverse composite materials and show that the mechanical materials properties are dependent on the nature and particle size of the substrates. Compression tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize composite material properties and to model their compression behaviour by numerical simulations. Their properties were compared amongst each other and with the benchmark expanded polystyrene (EPS), a petroleum-based foam used for thermal isolation in the construction industry. Our analyses uncovered that EPS shows an elastic modulus of 2.37 ± 0.17 MPa which is 4-times higher compared to the F. fomentarius composite materials whereas the compressive strength of 0.09 ± 0.003 MPa is in the range of the fungal composite material. However, when comparing the ability to take up compressive forces at higher strain values, the fungal composites performed better than EPS. Hemp-shive based composites were able to resist a compressive force of 0.2 MPa at 50% compression, rapeseed composites 0.3 MPa but EPS only 0.15 MPa. Conclusion The data obtained in this study suggest that F. fomentarius constitutes a promising cell factory for the future production of fungal composite materials with similar mechanical behaviour as synthetic foams such as EPS. Future work will focus on designing materials characteristics through optimizing substrate properties, cultivation conditions and by modulating growth and cell wall composition of F. fomentarius, i.e. factors that contribute on the meso- and microscale level to the composite behaviour.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials

Pohl

Schmidt

Guitar

et al. 2022

Fungal Biol Biotechnol

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“…This dependence on the controllable parameters enables MBC to meet specific application requirements [ 5 ]. Among these applications are acoustic insulation [ 12 , 13 ], thermal insulation [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ], packaging [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ], fire retardants [ 22 , 23 , 24 ], and structural building components [ 11 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mycelium-Based Composite Graded Materials: Assessing the Effects of Time and Substrate Mixture on Mechanical Properties

Ghazvinian

Gürsoy

2022

Biomimetics

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Mycelium-based composites (MBC) are biodegradable, lightweight, and regenerative materials. Mycelium is the vegetative root of fungi through which they decompose organic matter. The proper treatment of the decomposition process results in MBC. MBC have been used in different industries to substitute common materials to address several challenges such as limited resources and large landfill waste after the lifecycle. One of the industries which started using this material is the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Therefore, scholars have made several efforts to introduce this material to the building industry. The cultivation process of MBC includes multiple parameters that affect the material properties of the outcome. In this paper, as a part of a larger research on defining a framework to use MBC as a structural material in the building industry, we defined different grades of MBC to address various functions. Furthermore, we tested the role of substrate mixture and the cultivation time on the mechanical behavior of the material. Our tests show a direct relationship between the density of the substrate and the mechanical strength. At the same time, there is a reverse relation between the cultivation time and the material mechanical performance.

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“…The substrates used to maximise the growth of mycelium consist of lignocellulosic materials coming from agricultural crop waste such as, but not limited to, cotton, corn, flax, hemp, and wheat. These substrates, depending on their nutritional profile, affect the density of the material, as a higher proportion of grains typically corresponds to a higher material density [ 24 , 42 ]. Depending on the desired material profile and field of application, the use and customisation of substrates can be tailored to achieve the desired properties in the final material.…”

Section: State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There has been a recent surge of publications reviewing research and applications of mycelium-based materials in architecture, and while many have similarities, there is also a broad range of stances and scopes [ 4 , 15 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Most of these reviews focus on applications of mycelium-based materials for bespoke architectural prototypes and installations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and Opportunities in Scaling up Architectural Applications of Mycelium-Based Materials with Digital Fabrication

et al. 2022

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In an increasing effort to address the environmental challenges caused by the currently linear economic paradigm of “produce, use, and discard”, the construction industry has been shifting towards a more circular model. A circular economy requires closing of the loops, where the end-of-life of a building is considered more carefully, and waste is used as a resource. In comparison to traditional building materials such as timber, steel and concrete, mycelium-based materials are renewable alternatives that use organic agricultural and industrial waste as a key ingredient for production, and do not rely on mass extraction or exploitation of valuable finite or non-finite resources. Mycelium-based materials have shown their potential as a more circular and economically competitive alternative to conventional synthetic materials in numerous industries ranging from packaging, electronic prototyping, furniture, fashion to architecture. However, application of mycelium-based materials in the construction industry has been limited to small-scale prototypes and architectural installations due to low mechanical properties, lack of standardisation in production methods and material characterisation. This paper aims to review the current state of the art in research and applications of mycelium-based materials across disciplines, with a particular focus on digital methods of fabrication, production, and design. The information gathered from this review will be synthesised to identify key challenges in scaling up applications of mycelium-based materials as load-bearing structural elements in architecture and suggest opportunities and directions for future research.

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Material Function of Mycelium-Based Bio-Composite: A Review

Cited by 89 publications

References 108 publications

Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials

Establishment of the basidiomycete Fomes fomentarius for the production of composite materials

Mycelium-Based Composite Graded Materials: Assessing the Effects of Time and Substrate Mixture on Mechanical Properties

Challenges and Opportunities in Scaling up Architectural Applications of Mycelium-Based Materials with Digital Fabrication

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