Editing Mycelium (section)

==== Strengths and weaknesses ====

Mycelium [[Biocomposite|bio-composites]] have shown strong potential for structural applications, with much higher strength-to-weight ratios than that of conventional materials due primarily to its low density. Compared to conventional building materials, mycelium also has a number of desirable properties that make it an attractive alternative. For example, it has low [[thermal conductivity]] and can provide high acoustic insulation. It is biodegradable, has much lower embodied energy, and can serve as a carbon sink, which makes mycelium bio-composites a possible solution to the emissions, energy, and waste associated with building construction.

While mycelium proposes interesting implications as a structural material, there are several significant disadvantages that make it difficult to be practically implemented in large-scale projects. For one, mycelium does not have particularly high compressive strength on its own, ranging from 0.1-0.2 MPa.<ref name="Dessi">{{cite journal | vauthors = Dessi-Olive J | title = Strategies for Growing Large-Scale Mycelium Structures | journal = Biomimetics | volume = 7 | issue = 3 | pages = 129 | date = September 2022 | pmid = 36134933 | pmc = 9496270 | doi = 10.3390/biomimetics7030129 | doi-access = free }}</ref> This is in stark comparison to traditional concrete, which typically has a [[compressive strength]] of 17-28 MPa. Even more, because mycelium is considered a living material, it holds specific requirements that make it susceptible to environmental conditions. For instance, it requires a constant source of air in order to stay alive, needs a relatively humid habitat to grow, and cannot be exposed to large amounts of water for fear of contamination and decay.