Fungal mycelia as bioadhesives
| Authors: | Wejing Sun, Mehdi Tajvidi, Christopher G. Hunt |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Type: | Book Chapter |
| Station: | Forest Products Laboratory |
| Source: | book chapter |
Abstract
Mycelium-bonded bio-composites are an emerging class of novel materials developed over the past ten years. These have attracted significant research and commercialization interest with a steadily increasing number of papers, patents, and products. The basic idea behind these novel composites is to use fungal mycelia to bond substrates, mostly lignocellulosic biomass, together. Therefore, fungal mycelia in the system actually work as adhesives. This kind of adhesive is different from traditionally recognized resin-based adhesives in characteristics, processing, application field, and evaluation criteria. Adhesive performance evaluation depends on the form of the final product. Data on the performance of fungal mycelia adhesives is limited and inconsistent and requires more fundamental research and analysis. It appears that usual technical specifications will be achieved preferably by low-density products such as for packaging and insulation. Achieving all the required properties of standard panels, such as M2 grade particleboards, remains elusive.