User:PeterEastern/Mushroom materials

Mushroom materials are a novel class of renewable biomaterial grown from fungal mycelium and low-value non-food agricultural materials using a patented process. After being left to grow in a former in a dark place for about five days during which time the fungal mycelial network binds the mixture, the resulting light robust organic compostable material can be used to within many products, including building materials, thermal insulation panels and protective packaging.

History
Whilst studying at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 2007 Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre created rigid, molded material using mycelium and agricultural waste. They found that by manipulating the growth environment, they could influence the properties of the material, such as strength, flexibility and temperature tolerance. With support from the Institute's business incubator they formed Ecovative Design, based in Green Island, New York and filed a patent for the process was filed in 2009, which was published in 2011.

Philip Ross was working with the material in 2010 and demonstrated architectural structures made from the material in 2012. Ecovative Design opened a production facility in 2012. Architect David Benjamin of The Living, working with Evovative Design and Arup, built the 40 ft height 'Hy-Fi' structure at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2014.

Process
Agricultural waste product such as cotton hulls, rice, buckwheat and cottonseed. cleaning the material, heating it up, inoculating it to create growth of the fungal mycelium and left in a dark environment for period of about five days permitting growth of a fungal mycelial network to bind the mixture. It is then dried to prevent further fungal growth, thus preventing moss or fungus allergy due to exposure to the product.

Properties
The organic and compostable material is water-, mold- and fire resistance and is stronger weight for weight than concrete.

Applications

 * Building materials
 * Thermal Insulation
 * Protective packaging
 * Automotive