Fungus already shows promise as a “green” form of leather and protective packaging. Thanks to new research, it has now also found use in an environmentally-friendly sound-absorbing material.
Acoustic insulation is currently made of synthetic or mineral-based materials, neither of which are easily recyclable – their production processes also aren’t always very eco-friendly. Instead, scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology looked to mycelium.
Mycelium is the vegetative component of fungus, and it’s made up of thread-like structures known as hyphae. The researchers harvested mycelium grown in a lab, then added it to a substrate consisting of straw, wood fibers, and waste from the food production industry. That mixture was then 3D-printed into the desired shape.
The hyphae proceeded to grow throughout the three-dimensional matrix, forming it into a free-standing solid. Once that point was reached, the material was dried in a high-temperature kiln, killing the fungus to keep it from growing further. What resulted was a porous open-cell structure that was “ideal for soundproofing purposes.”
Not only is the material made entirely from renewable, biodegradable ingredients – some of which would otherwise be discarded – but because it’s 3D printed, it can also be manufactured with internal structures optimized for absorbing sound. Further research is needed to determine which structures would work best.
Fungus put to use in eco-friendly soundproofing material [New Atlas]