Air travel has long been synonymous with innovation, but its environmental toll is increasingly hard to ignore. Airbus’s Cabin Vision 2035+ aims to redefine aviation’s future by prioritising sustainability through transparency, decarbonisation, and circularity. A pioneering master’s thesis from TU Delft by Chinmayi Narasimha delves into this challenge, exploring bio-based materials like mycelium as alternatives to fossil-based plastics in aircraft seating. The findings reveal a transformative potential for reducing weight, emissions, and waste—all while embracing circular economy principles.
The Weight of the Problem
Aircraft seating components, particularly in business and premium economy classes, are among the heaviest non-structural elements in a cabin. A single kilogram less per seat can save up to 15,000 kg of CO2 emissions over an aircraft's lifetime. Yet, current materials such as thermoplastics like ABS+PC blends are fossil-based, difficult to recycle, and far from sustainable. This research took on the ambitious goal of identifying lightweight, bio-based materials to replace these plastics without compromising on safety, durability, or passenger comfort.
Image Courtesy: Chinmayi Narasimha
Engineering Sustainability Through Mycelium Composites
At the heart of this study lies mycelium, a dense network of fungal threads that can grow on organic substrates. Lightweight yet robust, mycelium offers exceptional mouldability and can be combined with other materials to form composites. By integrating pre-treated wood and natural textiles, the team developed a hybrid composite that meets aviation’s stringent functional requirements. Mycelium’s lightweight structure rivals traditional foams, while its renewable and biodegradable properties make it an excellent candidate for circular design. When paired with treated wood facings, it achieves impressive load-bearing capacities, offering a sustainable alternative without sacrificing performance.
The transformation of mycelium into a viable aerospace material required innovative treatments. Sodium silicate coatings enabled self-extinguishing properties, ensuring compliance with flammability standards. Moisture resistance was improved using biodegradable coatings derived from PLA, which reduced water absorption while preserving the material’s eco-friendly qualities. To enhance structural integrity, the composite design incorporated pre-treated wood facings and textile adhesives, creating a layered structure that combined lightweight properties with mechanical strength.
The study explored three configurations that showed significant promise. A mycelium core paired with pre-treated wood facings demonstrated a superior weight-to-strength ratio compared to many thermoplastics. Another configuration used flax fibre facings, which offered further weight savings while maintaining competitive mechanical properties. A third option combined mycelium with balsa wood, resulting in a low-density composite with excellent insulation and load-bearing capabilities.
Testing the Limits
To validate these designs, the team conducted extensive mechanical and environmental testing. Static load tests confirmed each composite’s ability to endure operational forces.
Flammability tests demonstrated the effectiveness of sodium silicate treatments, which enabled the formation of protective char layers during combustion.
Water absorption studies revealed that advanced coatings significantly minimised moisture penetration, extending the material’s lifespan.
Samples were also subjected to hot-wet ageing conditions, simulating the challenging environments of aircraft cabins.
These tests highlighted areas where further refinement is needed, particularly in the durability of coatings for long-term use.
Designing for Circularity
One of the most compelling aspects of this research is its focus on end-of-life strategies. Unlike traditional thermoplastics, these composites are designed to be disassembled and recycled. Textile layers can be detached for reuse or composting, while the mycelium core is fully biodegradable under controlled conditions. The pre-treated wood facings can be mechanically recycled or repurposed. These features align with the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle, paving the way for a circular economy within aviation.
Image Courtesy: Chinmayi Narasimha
Challenges and Future Prospects
While the findings are promising, challenges remain in optimising these materials for industrial use. Current coatings improve water resistance but require further development to meet the stringent durability standards of aerospace applications. Scaling production from lab prototypes to mass manufacturing will also require overcoming supply chain and processing hurdles. Cost competitiveness is another issue, as bio-based materials are often more expensive in their early stages. However, advancements in technology and economies of scale are likely to bridge this gap over time.
This research underscores the transformative potential of bio-based materials like mycelium in revolutionising aircraft interiors. By addressing key challenges in material science and design, it contributes to a more sustainable and circular aviation industry.
Replacing just 10 percent of thermoplastics in an Airbus A320’s seating trims could reduce lifetime CO2 emissions by nearly 460,000 kg, illustrating the tangible environmental benefits of this approach.
The future of aviation lies in innovation, and nature-inspired materials like mycelium offer a pathway to greener skies. Lightweight, sustainable, and adaptable, these composites represent a step forward in harmonising performance with environmental responsibility.