Renewable bio-composite sound-absorbing panels: a mushrooming industry

Mycelium is the name given to the fine root network of fungi, consisting of so-called hyphae. It grows rapidly with the supply of moisture and nutrients – in this case organic waste such as straw – and colonises the substrate. A subsequent drying process stops the growth, hardens the composite and makes it robust. Since only the hyphae are used, the final bio-composite material contains no fruiting bodies and therefore no spores, which enables the material to be used without any health and safety restrictions.