Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core
This research focuses on exploring the potential of mycelium as a sustainable alternative to wood or solid foam in pultruded glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) sandwich profiles. The study evaluates the performance and the environmental sustainability potential of this composite by mechanical tes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/15/3205 |
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| author | Marion Früchtl Andreas Senz Steffen Sydow Jonas Benjamin Frank Andrea Hohmann Stefan Albrecht Matthias Fischer Maximilian Holland Frederik Wilhelm Henrik-Alexander Christ |
| author_facet | Marion Früchtl Andreas Senz Steffen Sydow Jonas Benjamin Frank Andrea Hohmann Stefan Albrecht Matthias Fischer Maximilian Holland Frederik Wilhelm Henrik-Alexander Christ |
| author_sort | Marion Früchtl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This research focuses on exploring the potential of mycelium as a sustainable alternative to wood or solid foam in pultruded glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) sandwich profiles. The study evaluates the performance and the environmental sustainability potential of this composite by mechanical tests and life cycle assessment (LCA). Analysis and comparison of pultruded sandwich profiles with mycelium, polyurethane (PUR) foam and chipboard demonstrate that mycelium is competitive in terms of its performance and environmental impact. The LCA indicates that 88% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to mycelium production, with the heat pressing (laboratory scale) being the main culprit. When pultruded profiles with mycelium cores of densities 350 and 550 kg/m³ are produced using an oil-heated lab press, a global warming potential (GWP) of 5.74 and 9.10 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. per functional unit was calculated, respectively. When using an electrically heated press, the GWP decreases to 1.50 and 1.78 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. Compared to PUR foam, a reduction of 23% in GWP is possible. In order to leverage this potential, the material performance and the reproducibility of the properties must be further increased. Additionally, an adjustment of the manufacturing process with in situ mycelium deactivation during pultrusion could further reduce the energy consumption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:18:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28a4aab6b0eb4e24bfe36734f13d3e60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:18:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-28a4aab6b0eb4e24bfe36734f13d3e602023-11-18T23:28:00ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-07-011515320510.3390/polym15153205Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium CoreMarion Früchtl0Andreas Senz1Steffen Sydow2Jonas Benjamin Frank3Andrea Hohmann4Stefan Albrecht5Matthias Fischer6Maximilian Holland7Frederik Wilhelm8Henrik-Alexander Christ9Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Wood Research Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, Riedenkamp 3, 38108 Braunschweig, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Nobelstraße 12, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV, Am Technologiezentrum 2, 86159 Augsburg, GermanyFraunhofer Institute for Wood Research Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, Riedenkamp 3, 38108 Braunschweig, GermanyThis research focuses on exploring the potential of mycelium as a sustainable alternative to wood or solid foam in pultruded glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) sandwich profiles. The study evaluates the performance and the environmental sustainability potential of this composite by mechanical tests and life cycle assessment (LCA). Analysis and comparison of pultruded sandwich profiles with mycelium, polyurethane (PUR) foam and chipboard demonstrate that mycelium is competitive in terms of its performance and environmental impact. The LCA indicates that 88% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to mycelium production, with the heat pressing (laboratory scale) being the main culprit. When pultruded profiles with mycelium cores of densities 350 and 550 kg/m³ are produced using an oil-heated lab press, a global warming potential (GWP) of 5.74 and 9.10 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. per functional unit was calculated, respectively. When using an electrically heated press, the GWP decreases to 1.50 and 1.78 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq. Compared to PUR foam, a reduction of 23% in GWP is possible. In order to leverage this potential, the material performance and the reproducibility of the properties must be further increased. Additionally, an adjustment of the manufacturing process with in situ mycelium deactivation during pultrusion could further reduce the energy consumption.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/15/3205sustainable compositepultrusionmyceliumlife cycle assessmentsandwichhybrid pultruded products |
| spellingShingle | Marion Früchtl Andreas Senz Steffen Sydow Jonas Benjamin Frank Andrea Hohmann Stefan Albrecht Matthias Fischer Maximilian Holland Frederik Wilhelm Henrik-Alexander Christ Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core Polymers sustainable composite pultrusion mycelium life cycle assessment sandwich hybrid pultruded products |
| title | Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core |
| title_full | Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core |
| title_short | Sustainable Pultruded Sandwich Profiles with Mycelium Core |
| title_sort | sustainable pultruded sandwich profiles with mycelium core |
| topic | sustainable composite pultrusion mycelium life cycle assessment sandwich hybrid pultruded products |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/15/3205 |
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