Mycelium-Based Composite: The Future Sustainable Biomaterial

Because of the alarming rate of human population growth, technological improvement should be needed to save the environment from pollution. The practice of business as usual on material production is not creating a circular economy. The circular economy refers to an economic model whose objective is to produce goods and services sustainably, by limiting the consumption and waste of resources (raw materials, water, and energy). Fungal-based composites are the recently implemented technology that fulfills the concept of the circular economy. It is made with the complex of fungi mycelium and organic substrates by using fungal mycelium as natural adhesive materials. The quality of the composite depends on both types of fungi and substrate. To ensure the physicochemical property of the fabricated composite, mycelium morphology, bimolecular content, density, compressive strength, thermal stability, and hydrophobicity were determined. This composite is proven to be used for different applications such as packaging, architectural designs, walls, and insulation. It also has unique features in terms of low cost, low emission, and recyclable.

Automated summary

Due to the rapid growth of the human population, technological improvement is needed to protect the environment from pollution. The current traditional approach to material production does not align with the principles of a circular economy. A circular economy aims to sustainably produce goods and services by limiting resource consumption and waste. Fungal-based composites, made using fungal mycelium as a natural adhesive, have been developed to meet the concept of a circular economy. The quality of these composites depends on the types of fungi and substrates used. Physicochemical properties such as mycelium morphology, biomolecular content, density, compressive strength, thermal stability, and hydrophobicity are determined to ensure the desired properties of the composite. This composite material has been successfully applied in various fields including packaging, architectural designs, walls, and insulation, and offers advantages such as low cost, low emissions, and recyclability.