Sound absorption properties of composite structure with activated carbon fiber felts

Abstract

This paper is intended to study the influence of different factors on the sound absorption properties of composite structure with activated carbon fiber felts. Activated carbon fiber felts made from viscose fiber mats were prepared and later combined with perforated panels to form four different composite sound absorption structures. Based on the transfer function method, the impedance tube was used to test the sound absorption coefficients of composite structure in an acoustic range of 80–6300 Hz frequencies. Analysis was made to discuss the influence of such factors on the sound absorption properties as the position of activated carbon fiber felts, thickness, and air space. The results demonstrated that the composite structure displayed different sound absorption properties at different frequencies. Perforated panels played the dominant role in sound absorption by the occurrence of resonance at 80–3500 Hz frequencies, while porous materials contributed the most at 3500–6300 Hz frequencies. At 80–3500 Hz frequencies, the best performance could be observed in the third type of composite structure with changes in the position of activated carbon fiber; the first resonance frequency of the first type of composite structure and perforated panel structure was basically the same, and that of the remaining three types significantly shifted towards the low frequencies with the same scale. In smaller thickness range, with the increase in the thickness of activated carbon fiber felts, sound absorption coefficients of the first and second types of composite structure increased, the first resonance frequency of the first type showing no apparent shift towards the low frequencies compared with what was shown in the second type; but when the thickness arrived at 15.6 mm, sound absorption properties of the composite structure had similar traits to that performed by porous materials in an acoustic range of 80–6300 Hz frequencies. With the increase in the distance of air space, sound absorption properties were improving at 80–650 Hz frequencies but decreasing at 650–3500 Hz frequencies, the first resonance frequency moving towards the low frequencies. At 3500–6300 Hz frequencies, as the position of activated carbon fiber felts and the distance of air space varied, sound absorption coefficients were basically unchanged; while as thickness increased, sound absorption coefficients improved.