The reduction of waste generated by the construction industry is a social issue. The exploratory project consists of developing a material composed of plant fibres, i.e., ash chips, bound by the mycelium of Pleurotus ostreatus and to characterize its insulating properties compared to glass wool and hemp wool. The development of the culture protocol is based on the literature, but adapted to the difficulties encountered in the laboratory, while the methods related to each of the characterization tests are mostly based on protocols certified by standards. The hypothesis supported is that the mycelium has a similar behaviour than hemp wool which is also a biobased insulating material. The three materials are compared in terms of thermal conductivity, sound transmission and absorption, compressive strength, porosity, and density. They all have a low thermal conductivity characteristic of insulators, a significant porosity due to the complex network that forms them and interesting acoustic properties. On the other hand, the density and compressive strength of the mycelium-based material are higher due to the type of plant fibres chosen. Mycelium-bound plant fibres therefore have the potential to be used as thermal insulation that is fully compostable at the end of its useful life. The cultivation process as well as the species chosen must be optimized before large-scale use can be considered.
Grenon, V. (Author),
Maref (Supervisor) &
Ouellet-Plamondon (Co-supervisor),
9 Nov 2023Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Environmental Engineering