Preliminary investigation of nanofibrous membranes for sound absorption

Abstract

Nanofibrous membranes show interesting mechanical properties, low thickness and lightness, besides the possibility of using a great variety of polymers. The electrospinning technique makes possible the production of polymeric random nanofibres to form nonwoven membranes, which are currently used in several application fields, such as filtration, biomedicine, biomechanics, electronics, and composite materials. Their application in the automotive and aerospace engineering field could bring significant benefits to the acoustic comfort design. However, their acoustics properties still need to be further assessed. This study investigates the acoustic absorption of electrospinning-made nanofibrous membranes in Nylon 66 with different fibre diameters and mat thicknesses. Morphological and thermal characterisation of the electrospun membranes have been assessed via Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The acoustic absorption characteristics of various samples changing fibre diameter, membrane thickness and mounting conditions were tested in the impedance tube. The results showed more relevant acoustic absorption properties in the nanofibrous membrane coupled with a polyester fibre. Further studies will clarify if filament direction and constituent material can be improved for a more durable and resistant membrane application.