Mycelium-Based Composite: The Future Sustainable Biomaterial

Author: mycolabadmin
2022-03-12
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Summary

This research explores how mushroom roots (mycelium) can be used to create sustainable materials for construction and packaging. These natural materials offer an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics and building materials. Impacts on everyday life: – Provides cheaper and more sustainable packaging options for consumer products – Offers eco-friendly building materials that can reduce construction costs by up to 80% – Helps reduce waste by using agricultural byproducts as raw materials – Creates fully biodegradable products that won’t pollute the environment – Could significantly reduce carbon emissions in construction and manufacturing industries

Background

Due to rapid population growth and urbanization, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 70% from 2.01 billion tons in 2016 to 3.40 billion tons by 2050. Most industrially fabricated materials like construction and packaging materials are non-recyclable and environmentally unfriendly. The practice of business as usual in material production is not creating a sustainable environment and circular economy. Recent studies show potential for biocomposite production from mycelium-substrate complexes as sustainable alternatives.

Objective

To elaborate on the possibility of using fungal mycelium for the production of various sustainable materials and verify their future prospective applications. The review examines mycelium-based composites as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional materials.

Results

Mycelium-based materials show promising properties as sustainable alternatives, being emission-free, recyclable, and low-cost. Key species like Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum demonstrate superior results in composite production. The materials show excellent thermal stability, hydrophobic properties, and mechanical strength suitable for packaging, insulation, and construction applications. Composites are 80 times cheaper than conventional materials, with production costs around 18.92 USD per m3 compared to 936.87 USD for cement-based blocks.

Conclusion

Fungal-based composites represent a viable sustainable alternative to conventional materials, offering advantages in cost, environmental impact, and recyclability. While some limitations exist in mechanical and hydrophilic properties, these can be addressed through improved production methodology, species selection, and strain modification. The technology shows significant potential for various applications in construction and packaging industries.

Published in:International Journal of Biomaterials,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.1155/2022/8401528