© 2024 SURF
A transition to a circular economy is needed to revolutionize the construction sector and make
it sustainable for present and future generations. While the construction industry and the
production of construction materials contribute to environmental pollution, they also offer great
potential for addressing environmental problems.
Sheet materials are engineered wood boards that are produced from recycled or solid wood
where an adhesive is used to bind the particles together. They are predominantly used in:
furniture, flooring, roofing, and wall sheathing. The most common binder for boards is ureaformaldehyde which is classified as a carcinogen in the European Union.
In this project mycelium composites are developed as a formaldehyde-free, fully natural and
biodegradable material with high potential to substitute hazardous binders. In consortium
composition of V8 Architects, QbiQ, Fairm, Verbruggen Paddestoelen BV, and MNEXT (previously
COEBBE) merges different expertise and guarantees the consideration of the whole material
production chain.
The research proved the possibility of developing mycelium boards with a thickness of 12 mm
bringing it closer to the market needs in the construction sector. The aim would be to replace
MDF, OSB and particle boards in the future. Therefore it was also important to test the
mechanical properties of the mycelium boards to determine whether their strength properties in
relation to reference materials. The results of this research will contribute to bring mycelium
composites a step closer to the m
A transition to a circular economy is needed to revolutionize the construction sector and make it more sustainable for present and future generations.
While the construction industry and the production of construction materials contribute to environmental pollution, they also offer great potential for addressing many environmental problems.
Sheet materials are engineered wood boards that are produced from recycled or solid wood where an adhesive is used to bind the particles together, predominantly used in: Furniture manufacturing, Flooring application, Roofing, Wall sheathing. The most common binder for boards is urea-formaldehyde. Other binders may be used depending on the grade of board and its intended end-use. For example, melamine urea-formaldehyde, phenolic resins and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) are generally used in boards that require improved moisture resistance. Formaldehyde is classified in the in the European Union as a carcinogen and it carries the hazard statement 'suspected of causing cancer'.
In this project mycelium composites are developed as a formaldehyde-free, fully natural and biodegradable material with high potential to substitute these hazardous materials.
The heat-press process, the feasibility of which was evaluated in a previous Kiem HBO project, is to be further developed towards a process where mycelium sheets with different thicknesses will be obtained. This is considered as a fundamental step to increase the material approachability to the market. Different Material manufacturing techniques are also considered to enable the increase of sample thicknesses and volume. Moreover, a business study will be incorporated to allow further understanding of the material market potential. The consortium composition of V8 Architects, QbiQ, Fairm, Verbruggen Paddestoelen BV, and CoEBBE merges different expertise and guarantees the consideration of the whole material production chain. The research will contribute to bring mycelium composites a step closer to the market, giving them visibility and increasing the possibility to a commercial breakthrough.