Thin sheets of compressed fungi have excellent fire-resistant properties and could be used as a non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to current fireproofing materials.
In the past, fireproofing materials were made with toxic, flame-retardant chemicals like asbestos and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These have been replaced with other flame retardants such as organophosphates, which are considered safer, but some studies have and .
at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and her colleagues have developed a more eco-friendly fireproofing material using mycelium – the root-like structure of fungi.
They grew mycelium…
