“Growable” Homes Made With Mushrooms:
Insulation made with mushroom spores could eventually replace the familiar pink synthetic foam used by many homeowners to pad their attics and walls.Although excellent insulators, traditional polystyrene and polyurethane foam blends require petroleum, are expensive to produce, and are not biodegradable.
The patented Greensulate formula is an organic, fire-retardant board made of water, flour, minerals and mushroom spores. It not only hinders heat flow but could also be modified to produce sustainable, “growable” homes.
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The insulation starts with a slurry of water, biodegradable mineral particles called Pearlite (those white beads in potting soil), hydrogen peroxide and starch.The mixture is poured into a panel-shaped mold and injected with living mushroom cells. As the cells grow, they digest the starch as food and begin sprouting thousands of cellular strands called mycelium. In nature, these strands act as roots, providing nutrients and structural support.
After a week or two, a three to six-inch panel of insulation is fully grown, consisting of the insulating particles of Pearlite suspended in a tightly meshed network of mycelium.
According to Bayer, the organic composite board has an insulating value similar to fiberglass, some foams, or loose-fill cellulose.