Ultra-thin Zr-MOF/PVA/Melamine composites with remarkable sound attenuation effects

Abstract

The rising awareness of the critical nature of noise pollution is driving more efforts toward the development of new sound-absorbing materials for use in a variety of engineering applications. Nevertheless, the efficiency of noise control and the thickness of these materials continue to be a formidable barrier to implementation. To address this issue, we report herein on the successfully development of an innovative ultrathin Zr-MOF/PVA/M composite with exceptional sound attenuation characteristics. This Zr-MOF composite sound absorber was fabricated by integrating a UiO-66/PVA solution into a melamine foam. The as-prepared porous structure, with a thickness of 5 mm, exhibited more than double attenuation of sound compared to that for the pristine melamine foam, which is crucial for its applications. The inclusion of a PVA solution aided in the development of a uniform distribution, while the embedded Zr-MOFs acted as microscale Helmholtz resonators, significantly improving sound attenuation. In addition, the formation of Zr-MOF/PVA films enclosed in the open cells of melamine, thus creating a semi-open porous structure that reflects the sound within the framework, effectively dampening the sound energy. These favorable properties result in hybrid sound-absorbing MOFs that have potential for use in noise reduction in the fields of construction, electrical and mechanical devices.