Mycelium-Based Materials for Product Design

Mycelium-Based Materials for Product Design

Project team: Maurizio Montalti Partners, University of Utrecht, TUE Delft

One of the major challenges facing the world is how to transform our current economy into an eco-friendly and self-sustaining system. This research project explored the use of mycelium – the vegetative part of a fungus – for the development of materials with no negative environmental footprint.

This interwoven network of fungal filamentous cells is plentiful and provides designers with many opportunities. Fungi form mycelia on a wide variety of organic substrates. Specifically, mushroom-forming fungi are known for their efficient colonisation of lignocellulosic substrates, for example, wood, straw, etc.

The objective of the project was to develop innovative design strategies and novel ecologically responsible materials and, in this way, to contribute to the emergence of a sustainable society.

In previous projects, sub-millimetre to centimetre thick layers of pure mycelium have been able to be developed which, depending on growth conditions and treatment, have then been transformed in materials that resemble paper, rubber, plastic and wood.

Composite biomaterials have also been developed, by growing mycelium in a matrix of organic materials (plant matter) resulting from waste streams. The resulting grown materials have been used to create diverse typologies of objects.

As part of the project, DAE worked towards the development of a palette of mycelium-based composite materials with different physical properties. These ranged in their properties, from elastic to rigid, water-absorbing to water-repellent, porous to compact.

Combining scientific research with design-driven methods and experiential studies enabled us to explore the potential of the materials while providing feedback on how to improve the properties of mycelium.

At DAE, design researcher Maurizio Montalti investigated the possibility of standardising and scaling-up the production of specific mycelium-based composites. The aim is to be able to introduce these as suitable alternative materials for designers.

Mycelium-based materials for product design was a Research Through Design STW (a Dutch technology innovation initiative) project, in which multiple institutions co-operate to investigate new strategies for growing 100 per cent natural materials.

This three-year project was completed with a lecture and the publication of a scientific article. It was supported by The Netherlands’ NWO/TTW funding initiative for applied and engineering sciences.