Overview
- Researchers at Swinburne University cultivated Penicillium chrysogenum with shredded polyurethane mattress foam to create a lightweight mycelium-based biocomposite.
- As the fungus grew, its mycelium bound the foam and produced calcium carbonate deposits that helped form a solid structure.
- In laboratory testing, the material stayed stable near 1,000°C (1,832°F) and delivered thermal performance comparable to existing insulation products.
- The team envisions potential applications such as fire-resistant insulation, building panels, and forms for 3D-printed construction, pending further development.
- The work targets a growing waste problem, with about 1.8 million mattresses discarded annually in Australia and roughly 50,000 thrown out each day in the United States, many taking up to 120 years to decompose.