Sound absorbing materials

(Acoustical materials)
• The main purpose of sound absorbing
materials are for the control of sound within a
space and not for the control of sound
transmission between spaces.
Sabine’s Formula:
• RT=0.163 V/Se
• V- Volume of room
• Se- Effective sound absorbing area.
• Se= α x a
Where. α- sound absorbing coefficient of material (value ,0-1)depends
on frequency
a- area of the surface
• There are two different types of test
through which sound absorbing coefficient
is determined.
1. Reverberant Chamber Method
2. Anechoic Chamber Method
1.Reverberant Chamber Method
• Reverberant Chamber Method –
Reverberant chamber is a place or a
testing room where the acoustic
absorption is almost zero.
• It has infinite reflections.
• The reverberation time is very large.
 2.Anechoic Chamber Method

• There are no reflections.

• Absorption is very high
• The reverberation time is very low

• Using these methods sound absorbing

coefficient of particular materials are
determined in different frequencies.
1.Reverberant Chamber
2.Anechoic Chamber
 Types of acoustics absorbers
1. Porous absorbers
2. Panel absorbers
3. Cavity resonators
 1. Porous absorbers
• More efficient at high, rather than low
frequencies.
• Efficiency improves in the low frequency
with increase thickness and with distance
to their solid backing.
• Perforated, textured materials.
• Available as acoustic boards, geo-acoustic
tiles
• Other variants-Plasters, sprayed fibrous
materials, blankets, foam boards, carpets
and fabrics.
 Blankets

• These materials are available in

the form of blankets or rolls.
• They are fibrous in nature and are
manufactured from natural or
mineral wool, glass fibrous,
asbestos and mineral wool etc.
• The thickness of the blankets
varies from 1cm to 10cm.
 Prefabricated materials
• These are factory finished products.
• These are stiff but fibrous and
porous acoustical units such as tiles,
boards etc.
• The materials are applied in random
patches to obtain good diffusion of
sound.
• The thickness and method of
mounting are important in the
determination of the absorption
coefficient at various frequencies.
 Curtains

• The normal draperies or hangings used in a room are

not very effective in sound absorption, if it is of very high
frequency.
• To increase their effectiveness ,they must be made thick
and must be hung about 15 cm away from the wall or
door surface.
 Acoustical plasters

• Mineral or cellulose fiber base products are combined

with a binding agent and water in a special spray gun
and applied directly on a hard back up surface. .
• It is quite cheap as compared to other acoustical
materials.
2. Panel Absorbers
3. Cavity Resonators
Refraction of Sound
 Diffraction of Sound

• The effects of sound behavior due to

intervening obstacles such as sharp
corner, cracks or openings in portions and
doors are called diffraction or scattering
of sound.
• The effects on its propagation depend on
the size of the obstacle in relation to the
wavelength.
when a sound wave
length (λ) is much
greater than the
length of the
opening, spherical
wave (diffracted
wave) comes out of
the opening.
When length of the
opening is much
greater than sound
wave length (λ) ,plane
wave comes out of the
opening in one
direction with little
diffraction
• The lower
frequency sounds
are generally
diffracted and
uniformly scattered
because of their
larger wavelengths
than most of the
obstacles in a
room.
• When the size of
the intervening
obstacle is large
in comparison to
the wavelength
of the incident
sound, it casts
sound shadow.