Applicability of Paper and Pulp Industry Waste for Manufacturing Mycelium-Based Materials for Thermoacoustic Insulation

Hugo Muñoz, Paulo Molina (), Ignacio A. Urzúa-Parra, Diego A. Vasco, Magdalena Walczak, Gonzalo Rodríguez-Grau, Francisco Chateau and Mamié Sancy ()
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Hugo Muñoz: Department of Ingeniería Mecánica y Metalúrgica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6904411, Chile
Paulo Molina: Millennium Institute on Green Ammonia as Energy Vector, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6904411, Chile
Ignacio A. Urzúa-Parra: Department of Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins N 3363, Estación Central, Santiago 9170022, Chile
Diego A. Vasco: Department of Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins N 3363, Estación Central, Santiago 9170022, Chile
Magdalena Walczak: Department of Ingeniería Mecánica y Metalúrgica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6904411, Chile
Gonzalo Rodríguez-Grau: Escuela de Construcción Civil, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6904411, Chile
Francisco Chateau: Centro Nacional de Excelencia para la Industria de la Madera (CENAMAD), Santiago 9170022, Chile
Mamié Sancy: Millennium Institute on Green Ammonia as Energy Vector, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 6904411, Chile

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: Cellulose and paper produce significant waste such as ash, activated sludge, and sludge from the pulp and paper industry. Depending on the raw material, legislation, and subprocesses, these sludges contain around 30–50% organic matter, mainly composed of less than 0.02 mm cellulose fibers and hemicellulose and lignin. This work used sludge from the pulp and paper industry as a substrate for manufacturing mycelium-based biomaterials using the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor . Chemical and surface analyses revealed the formation of new materials. Acoustic impedance analyses revealed that these materials have a noise reduction coefficient and sound absorption average comparable to extruded polystyrene and polyurethane. In addition, the material’s thermal conductivity was near that of sheep wool. Therefore, the biomaterials fabricated using sludge and Trametes versicolor have the potential to be a game-changer in the industry as promising thermoacoustic insulators.

Keywords: pulp and paper industry; industry waste; mycelium; thermal conductivity; acoustic conductivity; construction; insulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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