Experimental Characterization of Mycelium‐Based Composites Under Multiple Loading Conditions

The increasing demand for environmentally sustainable materials in the construction sector has led to growing interest in mycelium‐based composites (MBCs). These materials are primarily used in non‐load‐bearing applications, and their mechanical behavior remains insufficiently characterized under multiple loading conditions. This study experimentally investigates the mechanical response of unpressed and hot‐pressed MBCs under compression, shear, and tension. Mechanical testing was complemented by digital image correlation (DIC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro‐computed tomography (Micro‐CT) to examine deformation behavior, failure modes, and internal structure. Under the present test conditions, hot pressing was associated with higher measured compressive and shear stiffness, with increases of about 64% in compressive modulus and 111% in shear modulus. In this study, the measured shear strength also increased by about 240%, although it remained low. In contrast, lower tensile properties were measured for the hot‐pressed specimens, with tensile modulus and strength decreasing by about 65% and 13%, respectively; however, the tensile results are based on a limited sample size ( n = 2). The hot‐pressed compressive strength was not measured to failure because of load cell limitations. Overall, the present findings indicate that the current mechanical performance remains limited, particularly in shear.