RESUMEN
Mycelium-based green composites (MBCs) represent an eco-friendly material innovation with vast potential across diverse applications. This paper provides a thorough review of the factors influencing the production and properties of MBCs, with a particular focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and long-term sustainability goals. It delves into critical aspects such as fungal species selection, substrate type selection, substrate preparation, optimal conditions, dehydrating methods, post-processing techniques, mold design, sterilization processes, cost comparison, key recommendations, and other necessary factors. Regarding fungal species selection, the paper highlights the significance of considering factors like mycelium species, decay type, hyphal network systems, growth rate, and bonding properties in ensuring the safety and suitability of MBCs fabrication. Substrate type selection is discussed, emphasizing the importance of chemical characteristics such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin content, pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and the C: N ratio in determining mycelium growth and MBC properties. Substrate preparation methods, optimal growth conditions, and post-processing techniques are thoroughly examined, along with their impacts on MBCs quality and performance. Moreover, the paper discusses the importance of designing molds and implementing effective sterilization processes to ensure clean environments for mycelium growth. It also evaluates the costs associated with MBCs production compared to traditional materials, highlighting potential cost savings and economic advantages. Additionally, the paper provides key recommendations and precautions for improving MBC properties, including addressing fungal strain degeneration, encouraging research collaboration, establishing biosecurity protocols, ensuring regulatory compliance, optimizing storage conditions, implementing waste management practices, conducting life cycle assessments, and suggesting parameters for desirable MBC properties. Overall, this review offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of factors influencing MBCs production and provides guidance for optimizing processes to achieve sustainable, high-quality composites for diverse applications.
RESUMEN
Mycelium-based bio-composites (MBCs) represent a sustainable and innovative material with high potential for contemporary applications, particularly in the field of modern interior design. This research investigates the fabrication of MBCs for modern interior materials using agro-industrial wastes (bamboo sawdust and corn pericarp) and different fungal species. The study focuses on determining physical properties, including moisture content, shrinkage, density, water absorption, volumetric swelling, thermal degradation, and mechanical properties (bending, compression, impact, and tensile strength). The results indicate variations in moisture content and shrinkage based on fungal species and substrate types, with bamboo sawdust exhibiting lower shrinkage. The obtained density values range from 212.31 to 282.09 kg/m3, comparable to traditional materials, suggesting MBCs potential in diverse fields, especially as modern interior elements. Water absorption and volumetric swelling demonstrate the influence of substrate and fungal species, although they do not significantly impact the characteristics of interior decoration materials. Thermal degradation analysis aligns with established patterns, showcasing the suitability of MBCs for various applications. Scanning electron microscope observations reveal the morphological features of MBCs, emphasizing the role of fungal mycelia in binding substrate particles. Mechanical properties exhibit variations in bending, compression, impact, and tensile strength, with MBCs demonstrating compatibility with traditional materials used in interior elements. Those produced from L. sajor-caju and G. fornicatum show especially promising characteristics in this context. Particularly noteworthy are their superior compression and impact strength, surpassing values observed in certain synthetic foams multiple times. Moreover, this study reveals the biodegradability of MBCs, reaching standards for environmentally friendly materials. A comprehensive comparison with traditional materials further supports the potential of MBCs in sustainable material. Challenges in standardization, production scalability, and market adoption are identified, emphasizing the need for ongoing research, material engineering advancements, and biotechnological innovations. These efforts aim to enhance MBC properties, promoting sustainability in modern interior applications, while also facilitating their expansion into mass production within the innovative construction materials market.
RESUMEN
The continually expanding use of plastic throughout our world, along with the considerable increase in agricultural productivity, has resulted in a worrying increase in global waste and related environmental problems. The reuse and replacement of plastic with biomaterials, as well as the recycling of agricultural waste, are key components of a strategy to reduce plastic waste. Agricultural waste is characterized as lignocellulosic materials that mainly consist of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Saprobe fungi are able to convert agricultural waste into nutrients for their own growth and to facilitate the creation of mycelium-based composites (MBC) through bio-fabrication processes. Remarkably, different fungal species, substrates, and pressing and drying methods have resulted in varying chemical, mechanical, physical, and biological properties of the resulting composites that ultimately vary the functional aspects of the finished MBC. Over the last two decades, several innovative designs have produced a variety of MBC that can be applied across a range of industrial uses including in packaging and in the manufacturing of household items, furniture, and building materials that can replace foams, plastics, and wood products. Materials developed from MBC can be considered highly functional materials that offer renewable and biodegradable benefits as promising alternatives. Therefore, a better understanding of the beneficial properties of MBC is crucial for their potential applications in a variety of fields. Here, we have conducted a brief review of the current findings of relevant studies through an overview of recently published literature on MBC production and the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of these composites for use in innovative architecture, construction, and product designs. The advantages and disadvantages of various applications of mycelium-based materials (MBM) in various fields have been summarized. Finally, patent trends involving the use of MBM as a new and sustainable biomaterial have also been reviewed. The resulting knowledge can be used by researchers to develop and apply MBC in the form of eco-friendly materials in the future.
