2025 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 47-54
The wood processing industry plays a pivotal role in the global economy and the environment and its preservation. Sustainability continues to gain worldwide importance, and wood processing industries are actively seeking innovative solutions to minimize waste and environmental impact. One promising approach utilizes sawdust, a byproduct of wood processing, as a substrate to produce mycelium-based biocomposites (MBCs) to create circular materials. This research explored the feasibility of utilizing sawdust derived from three different wood types, red alder, white oak, and yellow poplar, to produce MBCs. The process used fungal mycelium from the genus Ganoderma sp. (WE-CMU 011) as a biopolymer to bind the sawdust particles together. The mechanical and physical properties of the obtained MBCs were then examined and compared with traditional synthetic materials. The results include that the obtained MBCs exhibited density levels and compression strengths ranging from 167.71 to 208.28 kg/m3 and 387.28 to 562.06 kPa, respectively, surpassing those of many synthetic foams. Particularly, MBCs produced from a combination of mixed sawdust and white oak sawdust demonstrated superior compression strength and density compared to MBCs made from other wood types. Additionally, using a blend of sawdust from all three wood types during production resulted in MBCs with lower average shrinkage and volumetric swelling. The obtained MBCs demonstrated water absorption of 110.99% to 139.37%, which is higher than synthetic materials. The water-absorbing capacity of MBCs, however, may find application in agriculture for retaining moisture, in packaging materials for liquid chemicals prone to leaks during transportation, and in some housewares. Importantly, this study provides valuable insights into the wood processing industry and environmental advocates and highlights the potential of circular material production for achieving sustainable, eco-friendly, and economically viable practices.
