Mushroom materials are a novel class of renewable biomaterial grown from fungal mycelium and low-value non-food agricultural materials using a patented process. After being left to grow in a former in a dark place for about five days during which time the fungal mycelial network binds the mixture, the resulting light robust organic compostable material can be used to within many products, including building materials, thermal insulation panels and protective packaging.
History edit
Whilst studying at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 2007 Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre created rigid, molded material using mycelium and agricultural waste. They found that by manipulating the growth environment, they could influence the properties of the material, such as strength, flexibility and temperature tolerance.[1][2] With support from the Institute's business incubator they formed Ecovative Design, based in Green Island, New York[3] and filed a patent for the process was filed in 2009, which was published in 2011.[4]
Philip Ross was working with the material in 2010[3] and demonstrated architectural structures made from the material in 2012.[5] Ecovative Design opened a production facility in 2012.[6][7] Architect David Benjamin of The Living, working with Evovative Design and Arup, built the 40 feet (12 m) height 'Hy-Fi' structure at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2014.[8][9]
Process edit
Agricultural waste product such as cotton hulls, rice, buckwheat and cottonseed. cleaning the material, heating it up, inoculating it to create growth of the fungal mycelium and left in a dark environment for period of about five days permitting growth of a fungal mycelial network to bind the mixture. It is then dried to prevent further fungal growth, thus preventing moss or fungus allergy due to exposure to the product.[10][1][11]
Properties edit
The organic and compostable material is water-, mold- and fire resistance and is stronger weight for weight than concrete.
Applications edit
- Building materials
- Thermal Insulation
- Protective packaging
- Automotive
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, “Environmentally Friendly Organic Insulation Uses Mushroom Spores”, 2007, May 7, “[1]”, Retrieved November 28, 2009
- ^ Amber Cleveland (2007-05-04). "Commencement 2007: Graduate Develops "Growable" Solution to Energy Issues".
- ^ a b "Industrial-Strength Fungus -Densely packed rootlike fibers can do the job of Styrofoam, insulation and, yes, even bricks". Time. 2010-02-08.
- ^ US patent 8001719, Bayer, Eben & McIntyre, Gavin, "Method for producing rapidly renewable chitinous material using fungal fruiting bodies and product made thereby", published 2011-08-23, assigned to Ecovative Design, LLC
- ^ "Mycotecture: Building with Mushrooms? This Inventor Says Yes". Treehugger. 2012-09-26.
- ^ "Sealed Air and Ecovative Complete Agreement to Accelerate Commercialization of New Sustainable Packaging Material". The New York Times. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ^ Nearing, Brian (4 June 2012). "Ecovative keeps growing". Times Union. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "Hy-Fi". Museum of Modern Art, New York.
- ^ "Engineering a mushroom tower". Arup. 2014-06-24.
- ^ "Eben Bayer: Are mushrooms the new plastic?". TED. July 2010.
- ^ Boch, Adam. “Staying Cool: Green insulation gets warm reception.” Scientific American. May 28, 2008. “[2]”, Retrieved November 28, 2009
External links edit
- "Ecovative Design website". Ecovative. Retrieved 2014-12-29.
- "This Living, Sustainable Mushroom Building Could Be The Future Of Green Architecture". Huffington Post.
- "Mushrooms emerging in construction realm as insulation". Architecture and Design.
- "Philip Ross Molds Fast-Growing Fungi Into Mushroom Building Bricks That Are Stronger than Concrete". Inhabitat. 2014-06-25.
- "Making houses out of mushrooms". British Broadcasting Organisation. 2014-08-30.
- "Form and Fungus - Can mushrooms help us get rid of Styrofoam?". The New Yorker. 2013-05-20.
- "DIY Kit Lets You Make Designs Out of Mushrooms". Wired. 2014-12-18.
- "This Tiny House Was Grown From Mushrooms". Fast Company. 2013-07-13.
- "New Materials: Mushroom Packaging". Dell.
Category:Biomaterials Category:Packaging materials Category:Building insulation materials Category:Building materials