Material Parameter Assessment for Noise-Absorbing Devices in Shoe Heels

Abstract

Noise is a mixture of sounds of various frequencies that irritate human beings. Today, noise is considered an “invisible” pollutant that raises great concern, especially in cities. Prolonged exposure to noise, either in everyday life or at the workplace, may cause health problems including high blood pressure and heart diseases. Noise may have negative impacts on reading, attention, problem-solving, and memory. One of the solutions to this problem is the reduction of the decibel level (dB). This article studies the noise-absorbing characteristics of polymer materials used in shoe sole production. The authors suggest producing noise-absorbing caps from the FLEX material. Additive technologies were used in cap production. This article presents the results of the research on the use of the FLEX plastic for noise-absorbing shoe heel caps. When using the shoes with heel caps made of FLEX plastic, the noise level on porcelain stoneware reduced 5.61 times, and 12.79 times on laminate flooring. The authors prove that noise-absorbing heel caps can reduce the noise levels at workplaces and public organizations, which may have a positive effect on the environment.