Development of Building Insulation Material from Fungal Mycelium

Abstract

In the light of environmental impact caused by conventional insulation materials, there is an increased interest in the scientific community to develop new insulating materials from renewable sources. Mycelium-based biocomposites have been found to be promising for sustainable packaging, acoustic and thermal insulation, fashion and architecture. Mycelium-based biocomposite insulation materials contribute to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings. These composites have a significant advantage in terms of thermal conductivity and fire safety over traditional synthetic insulation materials. This chapter starts with a review of the scientific literature on the mycelium-based biocomposites, which have been used for various applications. In addition, the main information as regards to manufacturing an eco-friendly insulation material using Miscanthus giganteus and fungal mycelium is discussed. Two fungi (Ganoderma resinaceum and Pleurotus ostreatus) were used to produce biocomposites. In order to find the most suitable mixture as building insulation material as regards to density and thermal conductivity, mixing different proportions of Miscanthus and mycelium were used. The results are promising to make a sustainable insulation material based on fungal mycelium and Miscanthus fibres.