Traditional building materials have a significant environmental footprint. Indeed, as climate change and resource scarcity become urgent global challenges, regulatory requirements and consumer preferences are driving the demand for construction materials that are far more sustainable. To address this, Miscrete Ltd, in collaboration with iCAST, investigated the potential of a composite made from Miscanthus, a fast-growing perennial grass, and bioresin.
Miscrete is a recently formed business located in the southwest of the UK. It is a spin-off from one of the largest Miscanthus developers and growers, and is focused on developing sustainable commercial applications for Miscanthus-based natural fibres.
Assessing the feasibility of an eco-friendly composite 
Miscanthus, also known as silvergrass, is easy to grow and is known for its carbon sequestration properties. By coupling Miscreteā€™s Miscanthus with iCASTā€™s bioresin, synthesised from plant-derived oils, this Joint Industry Project (JIP) successfully produced an eco-friendly composite that has the potential to become a viable alternative to tradi
tional construction materials.
Through iCAST, Miscrete had access to advanced facilities for synthesising and characterising these composites. The panels underwent rigorous mechanical testing (tensile, bending and hardness tests), water repellence and stability, and thermal property assessment, as well as sector relevant evaluation of plaster adherence. These evaluations are crucial to determine the compositeā€™s viability in the construction market.
Market potential
This JIP taps into the growing need for sustainable construction materials. For example, Miscanthus-based panels could serve as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plasterboard, which currently relies on environmentally harmful materials like gypsum and mineral wool, or plywood and compressed wood strands known as oriented strand board (OBS), which contain toxic formaldehyde-based glues.
The expected outcome is the development of an optimised Miscanthus/bioresin composite for construction applications, appealing to environmentally conscious builders, developers and consumers.
Promoting sustainable practices in construction
Based on the JIP results, Miscrete plans to extend its collaboration with iCAST along with other academic partners. The goal is to start an 18- to 24-month project focused on scaling up production, reducing costs while improving fire retardancy, and refining the compositeā€™s properties to ensure broad market adoption.
Pending successful technical validation, Miscrete is actively engaging with stakeholders, including building owners, warehouse partition specialists, and modular building manufacturers, to replace traditional materials with the new composite.
Certainly, the development of Miscanthus-based panels offers a sustainable, locally sourced alternative to environmentally harmful construction materials. As regulatory bodies and funders push for greener construction practices, Miscreteā€™s innovation is well-positioned to play a key role in moving the industry towards more sustainable materials.
