SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS

SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS OR SOUND ABSORBERS ARE DESIGNED TO

TRAP SOUND ENERGY AND CONVERT THEM INTO HEAT ENERGY THROUGH
FRICTION. THESE ACOUSTIC MATERIALS WILL THEN PREVENT SOME OF THESE
SOUND ENERGY FROM REFLECTING BACK INTO THE ROOM OR SPACE.

COMMERCIAL SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS

A. POROUS ABSORBERS
KNOWN AS THE MOST FAMILIAR AND AVAILABLE KIND OF ABSORBER,
THESE ABSORB THE FRICTIONAL DRAG PRODUCED BY MOVING THE AIR INTO
SMALL SPA-CES WITHIN THE MATERIAL. THESE ARE POROUS AND THICK
MATERIALS THAT TRAP SOUND ENERGY IN A CELLULAR STRUCTURE.
1. SYNTHETIC FIBER
THESE ARE MADE OF MINERALS AND POLYMERS AND ARE USED MOSTLY
FOR SOUND ABSORPTION AND THERMAL ISOLATION.
a. GLASS FIBER
THIS IS MADE OUT OF THE SAME MATERIALS AS NORMAL GLASS AND
HAS THE SAME MANUFACTURING PROCESS AS ROCK AND BASALT
WOOL. GLASS FIBER PANELS OR BOARDS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE
OF THE POPULAR TYPES OF COMMERCIAL PANELS. THE THICKER THE
MATERIALS ARE, THE GREATER THE VALUE OF LOW FREQUENCY SOUND
ENERGY IT WILL ABSORB.
b. MINERAL WOOL
MINERAL WOOL OR ROCK WOOL IS ALSO POPULAR LIKE GLASS FIBER.
IT IS MADE FROM BASALT, WHICH MAKES IT NOT ONLY GOOD FOR
SOUND AB-SORPTION BUT ALSO FOR HEAT TOLERANCE. MINERAL WOOL
CAN BE FOR-MED INTO SEMI-RIGID BOARDS OR LOOSE BLANKETS AND
ITS ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE WILL BE BASED ON ITS DENSITY.
2. NATURAL FIBER
THESE ARE THE SAFER ALTERNATIVES FOR SYNTHETIC FIBER THAT ARE
MA-DE FROM BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AND DEVELOPED TO MEET THE
SOUND ABSORBING PERFORMANCE OF THE SYNTHETIC FIBERS.
a. WOOD FIBER
WALL PANELS MADE FROM WOOD FIBERS ARE GOOD FOR SOUND AB-
SORPTION BUT THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR THEIR DURABILITY. IT CAN
ALSO BE PAINTED AND REPAINTED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT
SIGNIFICANT DE-GREDATION OF ITS ACOUSTICAL PERFORMANCE.
b. COTTON FIBER
COTTON PANELS AS FAR AS THEY ARE DEVELOPED CAN BE
COMPARABLE TO THAT OF PANELS MADE OF MINERAL FIBERS. BOTH OF
THESE MATERIALS HAVE ASSOCIATED DENSITIES THUS ARE LIKELY THE
SAME IN SOUND AB-SORBING PERFORMANCE.
3. ACOUSTICAL FOAM
AN ACOUSTICAL FOAM IS A SOUND ABSORBER THAT CAN BE MADE OUT
OF
 OPEN OR CLOSED CELL STRUCTURES. THESE MATERIALS ARE EASIER TO
CUT AND SCULPT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES AND PATTERNS. THESE ARE
ALSO LO-WER IN DENSITY THAN FIBROUS MATERIALS WHICH MEANS THAT
ACOUSTIC FOAM PANELS WILL ABSORB LESS ENERGY THAN A MINERAL
FIBER PANEL EVEN IF THEY HAVE THE SAME THICKNESS.
a.a. OPEN CELL FOAM
THESE HAVE PORES THAT ARE INTERCONNECTED WHICH MAKES IT
A SIGNIFICANT SOUND ABSORBING MATERIAL.
a.b. CLOSED CELL FOAM
THESE DO NOT PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF SOUND THROUGH ITS
MATERIAL THUS THE ABSOPTION IS RATHER LOW.
b.a. POLYUTHERANE FOAMS
THESE ARE SOLD IN VARIETIES OF COLORS IN CONTRAST TO THE
MELA-MINE FOAMS AND HAS HIGHER DENSITY THAN THE SAID FOAM
WHICH MA-KES IT ABSORB MORE SOUND ENERGY. TOGETHER WITH ITS
SOUND ABSOR-BING PERFORMANCE IT IS ALSO HIGHLY RESISTANT TO
FIRE.
b.b. MELAMINE FOAMS
THESE ARE WHITE IN COLOR AND HAVE HIGHER RESISTANCE TO FIRE
RE-LATIVE TO POLYUTHERANE FOAM. IT HAS A LOWER ABSORPTION
COEFFI-CIENT WHICH MAKES IT LESS FLEXIBLE AND PRONE TO
DAMAGE BUT UN-LIKE POLYUTHERANE FOAMS IT CAN BE PAINTED.
b.c. METAL FOAMS
THESE ARE RELATIVELY NEW MATERIALS FOR SOUND ABSORBTION
AND THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE BUT RECYCLED. THESE EXHIBIT HIGH
STIFFNESS, LOW WEIGHT, FIRE RESISTANCE AND LOW MOISTURE
ABSORPTION WHICH MAKES THEM ALSO APPLICABLE AS FILTERS, HEAT
EXCHANGERS AND ME-CHANICAL DAMPING DEVICES.
b.d. CERAMIC FOAMS
THESE HAVE SIMILARITIES IN TERMS OF HOW THEY ARE MADE WITH
PO-LYUTHERANE FOAMS. THESE SOUND ABSORBERS ARE ALSO
EXCELLENT ALTERNATIVES FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE APPLICATIONS.
CURRENTLY, THE-SE ARE EXTENSIVELY USED AS ROCKET NOZZLE
COMPONENTS, COMPOSITE PANELS, HEAT SHIELD ELEMENTS AND
ACOUSTICAL LINERS IN AIRCRAFT MUFFLERS.
4. ACOUSTIC PANELS
ACOUSTIC PANELS OR BORADS ARE MADE OUT OF TREATED WOOD
FIBERS, BONDED WITH AN INORGANIC CEMENT BINDER AND A SMOOTH
SHREDDED FI-NISH. NOT ONLY ARE THESE MATERIALS SOUND ABSORBENT
BUT THESE ARE ALSO COMMENDED FOR THEIR STRUCTURAL STRENGTH,
ABUSE RESISTANCE AND HUMIDITY RESISTANCE.
5. ACOUSTIC TILES
ACOUSTIC TILES OR ACOUSTICAL TILES HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF
THE POROUS ABSOBER AND THEY ARE WIDELY USED FOR SUSPENDED
CEILING TREATMENTS. IT COMES IN HUGE VARIETIES OF PATTERNS AND
FINISHES INCLU-DING FIRE RATINGS. ITS INTALLATION METHODS INCLUDE
LAY-IN, NAILING TO FURRING STRIP AND GLUING.
6. COUSTONE OR QUIETSTONE
 IN DIFFERENCE WITH MOST POROUS SOUND ABSOBERS, THESE DO NOT
TEND TO BE SOFT OR ARE THEY PRONE TO DAMAGE WHEN SOAKED. THESE
ARE FOR-MED BY BONDING FLINT AGGREGATE TOGETHER WITH A RESIN
WHICH MAKES THEM HEAVY GRANULAR ABSORBENTS THAT CAN BE
WASHED. IT CAN BE USED ON SWIMMING CENTERS, POLICE INTERVIEW
ROOMS AND FIRING RANGES.
7. POROUS ASPHALT
THIS MATERIAL CAN CREATE A POROUS ROAD PAVEMENT SURFACE, A
GRA-NULAR SOUND ABSORBING MATERIAL THAT IS WIDELY USED ON
HIGHWAYS TO REDUCE THE NOISE COMING FROM THE AUTOMOBILES. IT
CAN ALSO ATTENUATE AND ABSORB NOISE COMING FROM NEARBY
STRUCTURES.
8. AEROGELS
THESE EXPENSIVE MATERIALS ARE A FORM OF MICROPOROUS
MATERIALS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED ON COMPLICATED APPLICATIONS.
THEY ARE KNOWN TO BE MORE ADVANCE THAN OTHER POROUS
MATERIALS SUCH AS FIBERGLASS AND ARE HIGHLY USED FOR AEROSPACE
MISSIONS AS THERMOINSULATORS BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE USED FOR
SOUND ABSORPTION.
9. ACOUSTIC PLASTER
THIS IS USEFUL FOR APPLICATION IN CURVED AND OTHER NON-LINEAR
SUR-FACES. IT IS EASY TO APPLY AND HAS A HIGH FIRE RATING BUT IT HAS
THE INA-BILITY TO RESIST MILD ABUSE AND IS INAPPLICABLE ON HUMID
ATMOSPHERES. THE NOISE ABSORPTION CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS
MATERIAL VARY WITH COM-POSITION, THICKNESS, APPLICATION
TECHNIQUE AND ARE GENERALLY BELOW ACOUSTIC TILES OR PANELS.
10. CARPETS
OTHER THAN BEING A VISUAL AND COMFORT ASSET, THESE MATERIALS
ARE ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE A POROUS ABSORBER OF SOUND. IT IS
SELECTED IN ANY DEGREE OF DENSITY, LOOPING AND DEPTH. THE PAD
MATERIAL IS ALSO IMPORTANT IN A CARPET AS THE HEAVIER THE CARPET
PAD IS, THE MORE AB-SORPTION IT WILL HAVE.
11. DRAPERIES
THESE SOUND ABSORBERS INCLUDE DRAPES, CURTAINS, TAPESTRIES
AND
OTHER FABRIC WALL HANGINGS OR DECORATIONS. THE TYPES, THICKNESS
AND FULLNESS OF THIS MATERIALS EFFECTS ITS LEVEL OF SOUND
ABSORPTION. THESE ACOUSTICALLY TRANSPARENT MATERIALS ONLY
ABSORB MIDDLE AND UPPER FREQUENCIES

B. DISCRETE ABSORBERS
DISCRETE ABSORBERS CAN BE ANYTHING, FROM AN OBJECT TO A PERSON.
THE-SE MATERIALS ARE NOT PART OF THE MAIN ACOUSTIC MATERIALS BUT
CAN STILL PERFORM SOUND ABSORBING ABILITIES THAT CAN FURTHER
CLARIFY THE NOISE IN THE ROOM.
1. ACOUSTIC BAFFLES
THESE SOUND ABSORBERS ARE EITHER RIGID OR SEMI-RIGID POROUS
MATE-RIALS WITH PROTECTIVE COVERING OF POLYESTER FABRIC, RIP-
 STOP, NYLON OR PVC. THE PATTERN OF HANGING THESE CAN EFFECT THE
ABSOPTIVE PER-
PERFORMANCE OF THE MATERIAL, IT CAN BE HUNG HORIZONTALLY,
VERTICALLY OR EVEN AT ANY ANGLE FROM GROMMET OR HOOKS.
2. ACOUSTIC BANNERS
THESE ARE THE SCALED UP VERSIONS OF ACOUSTIC BAFFLES WITH THE
SA-ME MATERIALS AND USE BUT THE CORE ABSORPTIVE MATERIALS OF
THE BAN-NERS ARE SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY LOWER IN DENSITY SO THAT
THEY CAN BE AL-LOWED TO DROOP FROM A HIGH CEILING.
3. FURNISHING AND OTHER OBJECTS
THE MATERIALS USED IN THE FORMATION OF THE OBJECTS IN THE ROOM
SUCH AS ITS FURNITURES AND FIXTURES CAN AFFECT ITS SOUND
ABSORPTION PERFORMANCE. FOR EXAMPLE. HEAVILY PADDED CHAIRS
ABSORB JUST AS MUCH SOUND AS A HUMAN BODY. THE EXISTENCE OF THE
FURNISHINGS THEM-SELVES ALSO HELP IN ABSORBING NOISE IN A ROOM,
THERE WILL BE A DIF-FERENCE IN AN EMPTY ROOM AFTER OBJECTS ARE
PLACE IN THEM.

C. RESONANT ABSORBERS
THIS EMPLOYS THE RESONANT PROPERTIES OF A MATERIAL OR CAVITY TO
PRO-VIDE ABSORPTION. IT IS USED TO GAIN ABSORPTION AT LOW TO MID
FREQUENCIES WHICH CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE BY POROUS SOUND
ABSOBING MATERIALS.
1. MEMBRANE ABSORBENTS
ALSO REFERRED TO AS PANEL AND DIAGRAMATIC ABSORBERS, THESE
UTI-LIZE THE RESONANT PROPERTIES OF A MEMBRANE TO ABSORB SOUND
OVER A NARROW FREQUENCY RANGE. THESE MATERIALS CONTROL
SPECIFIC RESONANT MODES IN A SMALL ROOM. THEY MUST ALSO BE
PLACED ON THE APPROPRIATE SURFACES AT POINTS OF MAXIMUM MODAL
PRESSURE TO CONTROL ROOM MO-DES.
2. HELMHOLTZ RESONATORS
THESE HAVE SPECIALIZED ABSORPTIVE PROPERTIES FOR ACOUSTICAL
AP-PLICATIONS. THE FREQUENCY RANGE OF THIS ABSORPTIONS ARE VERY
NARROW BUT WHEN LOOSE MINERAL FIBERS ARE USED TO FILL THESE
RESONATORS, THE FREQUNECY RANGE IS WIDENED.
a.a. PERFORATED ABSORBERS
IT IS CREATED WHEN ROUND HOLES ARE USED FOR THE OPENINGS IN
THE FACE. SINCE PERFORATED ABSORBERS ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED
FOR LOW FREQUENCY CONTROL, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO FABRICATE
CUSTO-MIZED PERFORATED BOARDS.
a.b. MICRO-PERFORATED ABSORBER
THESE MATERIALS ARE ONE OF THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE AREA OF ACOUSTICAL TREATMENTS. THESE ARE EXTREMELY
THIN MA-TERIALS STRETCHED OVER AN AIR SPACE WHICH CAN BE
FABRICATED FROM VISUALLY TRANSPARENT MATERIALS.
b.a. WOODEN FLOORS AND WALLS
WOOD IS OFTEN NOT PREFERRED AS MATERIALS ON CRITICAL
LISTENING AND PERFORMANCE SPACES BEACAUSE SUCH MATERIALS
 REFLECT RA-THER THAN ABSORB SOUND. TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM,
THESE FLAT WOO-DEN PANELS MUST BE PROVIDED WITH ABSORBERS
AT SPECIFIED FRE-QUNECIES. THE GROOVES WILL BE HIDING THE
HOLES THAT WILL PROVIDE A SOUND PATH FOR THE SOUND
ABSORBING PANELS.
b.b. CONCRETE MASONRY UNIT
CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS OR CMU ARE SLOTTED BLOCKS THAT
WERE
INTRODUCED TO PROVIDE LOW FREQUENCY ABSORPTION. THE SLOTS
IN THE DEVICE PRODUCE A HELMHOLTZ DEVICE TO PROVIDE BASS
ABSORPTION.
b.c. SLAT ABSORBERS
THESE ARE HELMHOLTZ RESONATORS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED BY
U-SING SPACED SLATS OVER AN AIR SPACE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT
AB-SORPTIVE FILL. THE AIR MASS IN THE SLOTS BETWEEN THE SLATS
REACTS WITH THE SPRINGINESS OF THE AIR CAVITY AND FORMS A
RESONANT SYS-TEM LIKE THAT OF A PERFORATED PANEL.
b.d. CLEAR ABSORBERS
THESE MATERIALS HAS BOTH LIGHTING AND ACOUSTIC FUNCTIONS.
IT IS A FULLY TRANSPARENT ABSORPTIVE FINISH THAT CONTROLS THE
REVER-BERATIONS IN A ROOM WHILE MAINTAING THE VIEW. THESE
ARE HELM-HOLTZ DEVICES THAT HAVE NO NORMAL RESISTIVE
MATERIALS AND IT IS ACHIEVED BY THE USE OF MICROPERFORATION.

D. BASS TRAPS
THESE SOUND ABSORBING MATERIALS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MASSIVE IN
CONTRARY TO ITS USE. IT ABSORBS LOW FREQUENCY SOUNDS OF ABOUT 20
HERTZ AND ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE PLACED ON VERY LARGE ROOMS.