Comparative Analysis of Mycelium Biocomposites as Potential Next-Generation Green Building Materials

Abstract

The construction industry is responsible for approximately 40% of the environmental damage due to carbon emissions resulting from high energy consumption, production processes, product logistics, and application methods. The production and use processes of traditional building materials contribute to the depletion of natural resources and the disruption of ecological balance. The search for sustainable and eco-friendly materials is becoming increasingly important in this context. This study emphasises the potential and significance of fungal mycelium for the construction industry. Mycelium biocomposites offer environmental benefits and exhibit important performance criteria such as thermal performance, acoustic performance, compressive strength, flexural strength, and radioactive shielding properties. In this research, the characteristics of the developed mycelium composites are compared with conventional environmentally harmful alternatives in the construction industry. The comparison is based on thermal conductivity, acoustic performance, compressive strength, and flexural strength tests, and the values of widely used products such as MDF, rock wool, and gypsum board in the literature are considered. The findings demonstrate that mycelium biocomposites are a sustainable alternative and superior in some performance metrics. Specifically, they can compete with existing products in thermal and acoustic performance and exhibit superior compressive strength and flexural strength compared to certain products. Given the current environmental impacts of the construction industry, mycelium-based materials stand out as an innovative solution that preserves ecological balance and offers long-term sustainable building practice.