Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink

Climate change is becoming an even bigger threat with the continued production of pollution in the atmosphere. Mycelium insulation offers a potential part of the solution by being a carbon sink and a sustainable material in an otherwise very unsustainable industry of construction and insulation. In...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chen Michael Junyou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2025-01-01
Series:E3S Web of Conferences
Online Access:https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/06/e3sconf_icnaoe2024_04001.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832098498779021312
author Chen Michael Junyou
author_facet Chen Michael Junyou
author_sort Chen Michael Junyou
collection DOAJ
description Climate change is becoming an even bigger threat with the continued production of pollution in the atmosphere. Mycelium insulation offers a potential part of the solution by being a carbon sink and a sustainable material in an otherwise very unsustainable industry of construction and insulation. In this review paper, I present the various materials that can form mycelium insulation, the process of how mycelium insulation is made, and some examples of potential composites that have been studied. Furthermore, I discuss the environmental impact of the insulation industry, and how mycelium insulation can reduce such impacts. Additionally, mycelium insulation is then compared to current alternatives on the market and evaluated by outlining its capabilities across various metrics to determine its performance. I then introduce specific properties of a mycelium composite that can be achieved depending on the substrate make up. Finally, market viability is analysed to show the potential of mycelium insulation. Results show that the current iteration of mycelium insulation may appeal to select individuals that are environmentally conscious, or for specialised cases. Widespread us of mycelium will only be achieved if further innovation occurs or an increase in the need to become environmentally friendly.
format Article
id doaj-art-40d938ddcecb42bb97f87bfa32dc9790
institution Kabale University
issn 2267-1242
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher EDP Sciences
record_format Article
series E3S Web of Conferences
spelling doaj-art-40d938ddcecb42bb97f87bfa32dc97902025-02-05T10:49:16ZengEDP SciencesE3S Web of Conferences2267-12422025-01-016060400110.1051/e3sconf/202560604001e3sconf_icnaoe2024_04001Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon SinkChen Michael Junyou0Shenzhen College of Internation EducationClimate change is becoming an even bigger threat with the continued production of pollution in the atmosphere. Mycelium insulation offers a potential part of the solution by being a carbon sink and a sustainable material in an otherwise very unsustainable industry of construction and insulation. In this review paper, I present the various materials that can form mycelium insulation, the process of how mycelium insulation is made, and some examples of potential composites that have been studied. Furthermore, I discuss the environmental impact of the insulation industry, and how mycelium insulation can reduce such impacts. Additionally, mycelium insulation is then compared to current alternatives on the market and evaluated by outlining its capabilities across various metrics to determine its performance. I then introduce specific properties of a mycelium composite that can be achieved depending on the substrate make up. Finally, market viability is analysed to show the potential of mycelium insulation. Results show that the current iteration of mycelium insulation may appeal to select individuals that are environmentally conscious, or for specialised cases. Widespread us of mycelium will only be achieved if further innovation occurs or an increase in the need to become environmentally friendly.https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/06/e3sconf_icnaoe2024_04001.pdf
spellingShingle Chen Michael Junyou
Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
E3S Web of Conferences
title Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
title_full Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
title_fullStr Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
title_full_unstemmed Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
title_short Introduction to Mycelium Insulation as a Sustainable Insulation Material and Carbon Sink
title_sort introduction to mycelium insulation as a sustainable insulation material and carbon sink
url https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/06/e3sconf_icnaoe2024_04001.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT chenmichaeljunyou introductiontomyceliuminsulationasasustainableinsulationmaterialandcarbonsink