MyCera. Application of mycelial growth within digitally manufactured clay structures

Abstract

In this paper we will demonstrate a digital workflow that includes a living material such as mycelium and makes the creation of structural designs possible. Our interdisciplinary research combines digital manufacturing with the use of mycelial growth, which enables fibre connections on a microscopic scale. We developed a structure that uses material informed toolpaths for paste-based extrusion, which are built on the foundation of experiments that compare material properties and growth observations. Subsequently, the tensile strength of 3D printed unfired clay elements was increased by using mycelium as an intelligently oriented fibre reinforcement. Assembling clay-mycelium composites in a living state allows force-transmitting connections within the structure. This composite has exhibited structural properties that open up the possibility of its implementation in the building industry. It allows the design and efficient manufacturing of lightweight ceramic constructions customised to this composite, which would not have been possible using conventional ceramics fabrication methods.

Biowelding 3D-Printed Biodigital Brick of Seashell-Based Biocomposite by Pleurotus ostreatus Mycelium

“…Exploiting the intelligence of the fungal hyphae in biowelding the separate 3D printed profiles of the V3-LBM with their limited contact surface area along the curves of its lattice form. Beyond most of the previous literature which focused on surface-based and volumetric designs for mycelium biocomposite applications [28,47,48], mycelium-bound porous structures applications [49,50] where the bound structures are more of volumetric type. This exceeds reinforcing mycelium bound composites with lattice wood structures [51], or the direct extrusion 3D printing of mycelium bound biocomposites in free form structures with more volumetric scale than linear [52,53]; or even testing the mycelium biowelding effect on lattice bricks with more regular forms and wider thickness of the profiles of 5 mm to 9 mm [54], which is five times more than the nozzle size of 1.8 mm used in the current study.…”

Filament-Reinforced 3D Printing of Clay

“…It is conceivable that such a process enables controlled material distribution within the extrusion [39]. Preliminary tests involving different clay types, flammable filaments to produce continuous cavities (Figure 12, right), and organic substrates for mycelial growth [40] have been carried out and successfully tested for their applicability. erials 2023, 16, 6253 13 of material distribution within the extrusion [39].…”

Coextrusion of Clay-Based Composites: Using a Multi-Material Approach to Achieve Gradient Porosity in 3D-Printed Ceramics

“…The use of gel-like support materials [33] allows the removal of the inside material without the need for firing by using air pressure, allowing hollow structures also to occur in unfired clay. Further, applications of unfired coextruded clay components are viable, e.g., when organic material is used as the inside material in order to act as a substrate for mycelial growth, allowing for fiber reinforcement as well as acting as a binding agent of multiple components [34]. Filament or thread materials can be used inside the extrusion as a reinforcement in order to support the clay while printing, resulting in the increased bringing ability of wet clay [35,36], thus allowing for more spatial and net-like designs to be fabricated [37,38].…”