Mushroom materials

Our contribution to the raw material turnaround and bioeconomy

Bio-based materials based on residual materials are an important component of a sustainable bioeconomy and contribute to the raw material turnaround. UMSICHT has many years of experience with the production of fungal materials as a biogenic material source.

Recovering materials from residues

A wide variety of residues can be used for the production of mushroom materials. This includes, among other things, residual materials from the agricultural industry such as straw, wood chips, reeds, leaves, but also residual materials from the food industry such as coffee grounds, spent grains or pomace. In the biotechnological manufacturing process of the material, the particles of the residual materials are bound by the filamentous growth of the fungal mycelium and transformed into new workpieces.

Climate-friendly material without competition for use

The result is a composite material without the use of additional adhesives or binders. Residual materials are thus upgraded and put to a new, technologically high-quality use - without competing with foodstuffs. The CO₂ bound in the residual materials remains in the workpiece - making it a climate-friendly material. New circular material cycles and sustainable solutions for different and high-quality material applications can be created.

Various application of mushrom materials

Mushroom materials can be manufactured and processed in various ways, including the following products:

• Thermal insulation
• Sound insulation
• Furniture
• Sound absorption
• Wall elements
• Packing
• Interior design
   

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Two departments are working together to make a contribution to the building materials revolution with mushroom materials. The "Sustainability and Participation" department contributes its expertise in prototype development, stakeholder involvement and design, while the "Product Development" department covers the competencies in building material development and functionalization. The experience gained in biology and mushroom cultivation forms the unifying element here. The development of mushroom materials benefits from this synergy. Many years of experience in material development meet modern methods of innovation management. Even during the product development process, the needs and interests of industry and customers are taken into account in order to make materials development application-oriented and industry-driven. This means that not only material samples but also prototypes for selected applications can be developed very early in the development process and tested for acceptance and function in participative formats with companies and users.