Sound transmission loss from polyvinyl acetate polymer mixed with different porous carbons

Abstract

The soundproofing properties of microporous activated carbon (AC) and mesoporous carbon nanotube (CNT) in a polymer matrix (polyvinyl acetate, PVA) have been systematically investigated. Analyzed by N2-adsorption technique, the AC powders are mainly microporous, while the CNT powders consisted of a large number of mesoporous channels. An anechoic termination method is adopted to analyze the sound transmission loss (TL) for PVA-based coatings at different frequencies ranging from 400 to 3000 Hz. Pristine PVA, AC-PVA, CNT-PVA, and AC-CNT-PVA coatings showed average TL values of 24.4, 25.1 and 27.2, and 25.9 dB, respectively. The TL value as an increasing function of mesopore fraction reflects that the mesopore is a major contributor to the improved soundproof performance, while the aid of micropore seems to be minor. The improved TL can be attributed to the fact that the mesopore of CNTs is capable of providing a large number of voids and cavities for air storage, enhancing efficiency of sound absorption and reduces sound vibration. On the basis, the selection of porous carbons plays an important role in determining the soundproof performance of PVA-based coating. This design of soundproof coating delivers a feasible potential as eco-environmental decoration materials due to its good stability, non-toxicity, and excellent soundproof performance.