Sound absorbing material made of polyester nonwovens

Abstract

Polyester nonwovens (PW) comprise fine fibers, similarly to glass wool (GW). Therefore, PW is expected to have high sound-absorption capabilities. In recent years, application of PW, an entirely recyclable material, as an absorbent material has attracted much attention from the viewpoints of resource recycling and waste reduction. In some cases, manufactured PW has been used as an interior material in an actual acoustic laboratory. Reportedly, however, PW has slightly inferior sound absorption capabilities compared to GW. For wider use as a sound-absorbing material, PW must have better sound absorption. In this study, sound absorptions of PW were measured for various fiber compositions. Specifications that engender high sound absorption capabilities were examined. Results revealed PW specifications that provide similar sound absorption as GW with similar thickness and density. The PW presented in this paper has both high sound absorption and good environmental properties. Therefore, it is useful as a sound absorbing material not only for architectural use, but also in various other fields. Finally, two examples are introduced of an actual anechoic chamber that was finished using PW.