Mass-specific flexural properties of a mycelium-based biocomposite

Over the past few years, development of technology at the intersection of material sciences and biology has ledto introduction of new generations of eco-friendly, engineered materials composed of biocompatible and biodegradablenatural components. Mycelium-based biocomposites made of wood fibers embedded in a dense fungal matrix exhibitphysical and mechanical properties comparable to their synthetic counterparts like Polystyrene foams which are widelyused in packaging, thermal/acoustic insulation, and construction industries. In this study, two prismatic samples of amycelium-based biocomposite were fabricated by controlled growth of a fungal mycelium species forming the bindingmatrix within wood fiber substrates made of chopped leaf sheaths of date palm with different sizes. Both samples weretested under quasi-static displacement-controlled three-point bending, and their mass-specific flexural properties weremeasured. Results showed that the sample with larger fibers exhibits less strength, where larger empty spaces in thefibrous network prevent the growing matrix from consolidation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Biocomposite material ، natural fibers ، fungal matrix ، flexural properties