Enhanced Thermal Mass of Mycelium-Based Biocomposites for Timber Constructions: A Comparative Study

Summer overheating is an escalating challenge for lightweight timber constructions, which inherently lack the thermal mass of traditional masonry. This study investigates the thermo-physical properties of a mycelium-based biocomposite (MBB) insulation produced from industrial wood waste, with particular focus on volumetric heat capacity (C_v). The C_v and thermal conductivity (λ) of MBB were experimentally measured and benchmarked against seven reference insulation materials spanning bio-based, mineral, and petroleum-derived categories, with results visualized on an Ashby diagram. The areal heat capacity (κ) of nine representative wall assemblies was theoretically calculated per EN ISO 13786. Even though the MBB achieved the highest thermal conductivity (λ = 0.0641 ± 0.0024 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹) among the tested insulation materials, it offers 4.7 times higher C_v than EPS. Analytical modeling indicates a thermal phase shift of 8.2 h for a 185 mm layer, compared to 4.6 h for EPS. The softwood timber + MBB wall assembly achieved an areal heat capacity approaching the lower boundary of traditional masonry performance. These findings demonstrate MBB’s potential as a bio-based, waste-derived insulation for significantly enhancing the thermal inertia of lightweight timber buildings and mitigating summer overheating risk.