Mycomerge: Fabrication of Mycelium-Based Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites on a Rattan Framework

Mai Thi Nguyen; Daniela Solueva; Evgenia Spyridonos; Hanaa Dahy

doi:10.3390/biomimetics7020042

Mycomerge: Fabrication of Mycelium-Based Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites on a Rattan Framework

Biomimetics (Basel). 2022 Apr 8;7(2):42. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics7020042.

Authors

Mai Thi Nguyen¹, Daniela Solueva¹, Evgenia Spyridonos², Hanaa Dahy^{2

3

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Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Stuttgart, Keplerstrasse 11, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany.
² BioMat Department of Bio-Based Materials and Materials Cycles in Architecture, Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart, Keplerstrasse 11, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany.
³ Department of Architecture (FEDA), Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11517, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Planning, Technical Faculty of IT & Design, Aalborg University, 2450 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

There is an essential need for a change in the way we build our physical environment. To prevent our ecosystems from collapsing, raising awareness of already available bio-based materials is vital. Mycelium, a living fungal organism, has the potential to replace conventional materials, having the ability to act as a binding agent of various natural fibers, such as hemp, flax, or other agricultural waste products. This study aims to showcase mycelium's load-bearing capacities when reinforced with bio-based materials and specifically natural fibers, in an alternative merging design approach. Counteracting the usual fabrication techniques, the proposed design method aims to guide mycelium's growth on a natural rattan framework that serves as a supportive structure for the mycelium substrate and its fiber reinforcement. The rattan skeleton is integrated into the finished composite product, where both components merge, forming a fully biodegradable unit. Using digital form-finding tools, the geometry of a compressive structure is computed. The occurring multi-layer biobased component can support a load beyond 20 times its own weight. An initial physical prototype in furniture scale is realized. Further applications in architectural scale are studied and proposed.

Keywords: NFRP; bio-based materials; growing materials; lightweight structure; mycelium; mycelium-based composites; natural fiber reinforced polymers; rattan.