Fungal Mycelium Composite (Mycocomposite) for Petrochemical Alternative Materials

Fungal Mycelium Composite (Mycocomposite) for Petrochemical Alternative Materials

Hyun-Jae Shin1*

1Department of Biochemical Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Republic of Korea

*Email: shinhj@chosun.ac.kr

Petrochemical alternative materials and plastics alternatives are being developed to meet global environmental demands. Mushroom mycelium is gaining attention as a biodegradable and versatile alternative for packaging, building materials, and even functional materials. Mycelium composite (mycocomposite), a combination of biomass and mycelium, can be physically and chemically treated to control properties. This study explores the use of several fungal mycelium as a substitute for wood panels and expanded polystyrene (EPS) in packaging and insulation materials. The compressive strength of the Mushroom material was lower than that of the wood panel, but it was similar to the EPS (Korean standard bead method no. 3), which is widely used in life. In addition, the heat emission was the lowest, showing the highest safety when exposed to fire, and the density of the mushroom material was higher than EPS and lower than the wood panel. Mushroom material is a biodegradable material and is expected to be able to replace materials such as EPS by reducing weight and improving functions in the future.