Thermal Degradation and Fire Properties of Fungal Mycelium and Mycelium – Biomass Composite Materials
Jones, M.; Bhat, T.; Kandare, E.; Thomas, A.; Joseph, P.; Dekiwadia, C.; Yuen, R.; John, S.; Ma, J.; Wang, C.-H.
What is it about?
Thermal degradation and fire behaviour of pure T. versicolor mycelium (TGA-FTIR, GC-MS, PCFC) and of mycelium–wheat grain composites (cone calorimeter, 50 kW/m²). Mycelium leaves about 23 % char and releases far less heat than PMMA and PLA; the mycelium-rich surface slightly lowers the peak heat release of the composites. Longer growth (6/12/18 days) hardly changed fire behaviour.
Experiments from this publication (4)
| Experiment | Fungus | Substrate mix | Density [kg/m³] | Measurements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure mycelium (removed from wheat grain composite) · T. versicolor | Trametes versicolor | – | 7 | |
| Wheat grain composite, 12 days growth · T. versicolor | Trametes versicolor | 100 % Wheat grains · E&A Salce Pty Ltd (AU) | 1 | |
| Wheat grain composite, 18 days growth · T. versicolor | Trametes versicolor | 100 % Wheat grains · E&A Salce Pty Ltd (AU) | 1 | |
| Wheat grain composite, 6 days growth · T. versicolor | Trametes versicolor | 100 % Wheat grains · E&A Salce Pty Ltd (AU) | 1 |
Notes on data extraction
Taken: PCFC values (Table 2), TGA residue and onset of decomposition (text), pHRR of the composites (text, approximate). Time curves of HRR, mass loss and smoke density are shown only in figures and were not taken. The wheat grains without mycelium (reference) are not entered as an experiment.