Mechanical behavior of mycelium-based particulate composites

This work investigates the mechanical behavior of mycelium composites reinforced with biodegradable agro-waste particles. In the composite, the mycelium acts as a supportive matrix which binds reinforcing particles within its filamentous network structure. The compressive behavior of mycelium composites is investigated using an integrated experimental and computational approach. The experimental results indicate that the composite mimics the soft elastic response of pure mycelium at small strains and demonstrates marked stiffening at larger strains due to the densification of stiff particles.