Development and characterization of novelly grown fire-resistant fungal fibers.

This study conducted a comprehensive characterization and analyses on the fire-resistant behaviors of novel fungal fibers grown with substrate containing Silica (Si) source at multiple scales. At micro-scale, the results of SEM showed that silica affected the physiological activities of fungi, with the extent of effects depending upon its concentration. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra displayed the existence of Si-O-C chemical bonds in fungal fibers grown with Si source, indicating that Si source becomes a part of the structure of fungal fibers.