Evaluation of electro-spun polymeric nanofibers for sound absorption applications

Abstract

The electrospinning process was used to manufacture nanofiber mats of polymeric materials that have low thickness and improved sound absorption characteristics. The processed nanofiber composites consisted of a number of formulated combinations of polymeric materials, i.e., Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), Polystyrene (PS), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). These materials were further modified by addition of fillers like Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), Graphene (GN), Wollastonite (WS) and Fiberglass (FG) for the purpose of betterment of their soundproofing characteristics. This paper focuses on an experimental study for evaluating the sound absorption coefficient of these composites by implementing the standard test method of sound absorption using an impedance tube. The effects of back cavity, air gaps, layering and graded thickness of different combination of the produced nanofiber mats were also investigated in this study. The experimental results revealed that these nanofiber mats demonstrate good sound absorption potential in low and medium frequency ranges (Up to 2000Hz). These cost-effective nanofiber mats have the potential of being used as sound barriers, to reduce noise transmission and keep it contained and/or as sound-dampening and sound-deadening materials in applications where space and volume savings are critical, especially in the electronic and aerospace industries.