Sound Absorption Characteristics of Integrated Membrane-Fabric Materials

• Main Authors: Hamdan, Nur Izzah, Zainulabidin, Muhd Hafeez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: semarak ilmu 2024
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10935/1/J17416_e0a65660679f412c7020efdc2c37f9cf.pdf; http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/10935/; https://doi.org/10.37934/aram.113.1.6378
• Institution: Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Noise pollution has emerged as one of the most significant environmental issues, particularly in developing countries. Combining a membrane or panel with two or more porous materials is a practical approach to sound absorption. However, it often makes the absorber thicker, taking up more space and increasing production costs. This research proposes a new integrated sound absorber that combines a rubber membrane with fabric to absorb sound at different frequencies. The use of fabric eliminates the use of typical bulky porous material, which can save much space and cost of production. The main objective of this research is to study the characteristics of the new integrated membrane-fabric by varying perforation sizes, perforation percentages, and backed air gap distance between the material and the rigid wall. The characteristics of the integrated membrane-fabric absorber were experimentally measured in terms of Sound Absorption Coefficient by using the impedance tube method in compliance with ISO 10534-2 standard. This research has determined that the integrated membrane-fabric material exhibits exceptional sound absorption performance across a wide frequency range, which is influenced by several factors, including the diameter and ratio of perforations and the depth of the air cavity. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the positioning of the fabric also plays a crucial role in determining the material's absorption performance.