Woodpile structural designs to increase the stiffness of mycelium-bound composites

Mycelium-bound composites are biodegradable, eco-friendly materials grown by fungi onto solid ligno-cellulosic substrates. Mycelium is an interconnected network made of fungal cells that bind the substrates' particulates together. Uncompressed mycelium-bound have typically weak mechanical properties, similar to expanded polystyrene. In this paper, mycelium porous woodpile struts structures increase final properties. The hypothesis in porosity can oxygen diffusion throughout material and development dense network. from P. ostreatus bamboo microfibers substrates were studied test hypothesis. Constructing monitoring growth properties under compression, it was found obtained through design able skin formation. As a result, stiffness multiplied 6 after 28 days growth. specific modulus turned 4 with addition 30 % macroscopic porosity. Despite modest (stiffness about 0.5 MPa), approach proposed illustrates how appropriate structural efficiently bio-based materials.