Sheet materials are engineered wood boards that are produced from recycled or solid wood where an adhesive is used to bind the particles together. These materials are predominantly used in: furniture manufacturing, flooring application, roofing, wall sheathing. The most common binder for boards is urea-formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is classified in the EU as a carcinogen and it carries the hazard statement ‘suspected of causing cancer’. In the project Mycelium on Board, mycelium composites are developed as a formaldehyde-free, fully natural and biodegradable material with high potential to substitute these hazardous materials.
The consortium composition of V8 Architects, QbiQ, Fairm, Verbruggen Paddestoelen BV, and CoE BBE merges different expertise and guarantees the consideration of the whole material production chain. The research will contribute to bring mycelium composites a step closer to the market, giving them visibility and increasing the possibility to a commercial breakthrough.
Research
What are the main activities? The heat-press process, the feasibility of which was evaluated in a previous Kiem HBO project, is to be further developed towards a process where mycelium sheets with different thicknesses will be obtained. This is considered as a fundamental step to increase the material approachability to the market. Different Material manufacturing techniques are also considered to enable the increase of sample thicknesses and volume. Moreover, a business study will be incorporated to allow further understanding of the material market potential.
Partners:
