Sound Absorption Characteristics of Natural Fiber-Based Composite Sandwich Acoustical Materials

Natural fiber-based acoustical materials are widely used as alternative of synthetic acoustical materials. The sound absorption characteristics of material can be instrumental for interior noise control. The study reports the sound absorption characteristics of various sound absorptive materials including microfiber pine wood, Polyethylene Terephthalate polyester acoustic material, polyfiber foam and their composite-based materials tested in Reverberation chambers as per ISO 354:2003 and ASTM C423-2017 with measurement uncertainty of ± 5% at varied air-gaps. The effect of thickness and density of the acoustical materials on sound absorption characteristics were analyzed. It is to observe that addition of glass wool and polyfiber foam enhances the sound absorption characteristics in middle and high frequency range. The study reports the sandwich constructions developed with excellent sound absorption characteristics in middle and high frequency range that can be used for ceilings and walls for noise control .