Abstract
The sustainable management of waste from agricultural crops represents an urgent challenge. One possible solution considers waste as possible secondary raw materials for specific uses. Among these, the use of agricultural waste as a product for the assembly of panels for the sound absorption of living environments represents a particularly suitable solution. In this study, the acoustic properties of the cocoa pod husk were evaluated, using silicone as a binder. Different proportions of materials and thicknesses were evaluated. A Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based model with a Gaussian kernel was then used to predict the acoustic performance of composite materials. The results obtained suggest the adoption of this material for the acoustic correction of living environments and this methodology for the prediction of the acoustic behavior of materials.
Highlights
Specific uses must arise for these secondary raw materials so that they do not become waste products [6]
With 25% of cocoa and 75% of silicone, the behavior is probably more similar to the one of the silicones itself. With this proportion of binder, for the 25 mm sample, the coefficients are quite low for all the frequencies and slightly higher at 1450 Hz
It is possible to note that the distribution of the points seems to be arranged above and below the line: while the points above the line are very close to it, those below the line are a little further away. This fact confirms the trend, already highlighted above, that the Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based model seems to underestimate the peaks of the sound absorption coefficient
Summary
For the application of theories that aim to achieve sustainable agricultural derivatives, it is necessary to consolidate the theoretical principles into feasible recommendations applicable to agricultural practices and the associated productive chain [1,2]. With the aim of generating construction materials that are more respectful with the environment, some research studies are considering a different path, the use of materials from organic waste recycling [47]. Natural fibers have been considered in research for the sound absorption of rooms They have optimal characteristics as construction materials, as they are light, have a minimal impact on health, there is a great availability of them in nature, and they have a low environmental impact both in their obtaining and in the elaboration of the products [54]. Recent research has combined raw materials from agricultural product waste with artificial materials (e.g., fiberglass with carbon fibers polymers), for different purposes, seeking a compromise between sustainability and good performance [59,60] Some of these materials used as binders increase their durability over time and prevent the disaggregation of the particles that make them up [61].
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