NATURAL AND

ADVANCE
TECHNOLOGICAL
ACOUSTIC MATERIALS

JAYSON M. ISIP
BSAR – 3H
10 NATURAL ACOUSTICAL
MATERIALS
1. WOOD
The wood has significant advantages of integration, durability
notorious with conceptions of works and protection techniques
adapted technologies that enable rapid and effective assemblies,
control overall costs.

Acoustic properties Wood can produce sound (by direct striking)

and can amplify or absorb sound waves originating from other
bodies. For these reasons, it is a unique material for musical
instruments and other acoustic applications. The pitch of sound
produced depends on the frequency of vibration, which is affected
by the dimensions, density, moisture content, and modulus of
elasticity of the wood. Smaller dimensions, lower moisture
content, and higher density and elasticity produce sounds of
higher pitch
 A brick is a block or a single unit of a
2. BRICK ceramic material used in masonry
construction. Typically bricks are stacked
together or laid as brickwork using various
kinds of mortar to hold the bricks together
and make a permanent structure

• Brick attenuates sound very well

• Brick is a good all frequency sound
reflector
3. CONCRETE

Concrete is a composite material composed of coarse

granular material (the aggregate or filler) embedded in a
hard matrix of material (the cement or binder) that fills
the space among the aggregate particles and glues them
together

• Concrete provides no absorption

• Concrete readily accepts and transmits impact sounds
4. CONCRETE
MASONRY UNITS
Modular building blocks made of concrete

• Attenuates sound very well

• If well sealed, it becomes a good all frequency
reflector
Glass is rigid, and its massiveness is limited by
transparency requirements that keep it thin. Glass
transmits a lot of sound energy at its resonant
frequency and at low frequencies. Laminated glass
and insulated glazing units both reduce sound
transmission through glass by reducing resonance and
adding air-space.

Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material that

exhibits a glass transition, which is the reversible transition in
amorphous materials (or in amorphous regions within
semicrystalline materials) from a hard and relatively brittle state
into a molten or rubber-like state

5. GLASS
6. METAL
Metal barriers have some advantageous
compared to conventional concrete barriers.
These metal barriers have narrow and
lightweight construction which enables these
barriers to be built in confined spaces, bridges
and flyovers. They have pleasing look and are
also found to be less obtrusive to the
surrounding areas.

• Panelized Sound Walls  Precast Concrete

Walls
• Noise Barriers  Temporary Walls
Bamboo fibers can be used in multiple ways for sound
absorption. Some of the most common ways are to
7. BAMBOO
use bamboo shavings, known as bamboo fiber, and
solid panels and sheets of bamboo.

Bamboo fiber is extremely porous and is used for

insulation within walls and ceilings. This material is not
only good for temperature regulation, but it is also
excellent for sound absorption.
Bamboo sound panels are shaped bamboo wood panels
that are designed to scatter sound waves as they pass
over the boards. 

Bamboo is an all-natural material, having no glues or

any other additives at all. However, bamboo can be an
expensive material to obtain in the quantities that you
may require for sound absorption purposes.
8. COCONUT HUSK
This material is extremely porous and fibrous, which are both important
qualities for sound absorption. The drawback of using coconut husk for
sound absorption is the fact that it is very light.

The fibrous nature of coconut husk, coupled with how light the material is,
means that a considerable amount of coconut husk must be used to be
adequate for any insulation or sound absorption purposes. 

The coconut husk must be compressed to be as dense as possible within the

space, or it will not absorb much sound at all.

Coconut husk is very cheap to buy if it has not been processed at all, but
processed or compressed coconut husk that has been formed into blocks or
sheets can be much more expensive.
Coconut husk is an excellent, all-natural sound absorbing material that is
very readily available. 
9. PURE COTTON FIBERS

Cotton is the best natural material to use for sound absorption. 

This material is incredibly versatile. It can be used in many different forms

to absorb, block, trap, and disperse sound waves from almost all
frequencies produced by the human voice, musical instruments, power
tools, most speakers, and ambient noises.

Cotton fibers can be used as dense panels, porous sheets, or loose

material for open-cell insulation, and even made into other fabrics such
as denim. 

Pure natural cotton can be used as dense blocks or panels, or it can be used
as fibers within walls or ceilings to absorb sound in the structure of the
building as well.
10. MEDIUM-DENSITY
FIBERBOARD (MDF)
MDF is available in different densities and qualities. Higher
density MDF is good for sound reflection, but low density,
porous MDF is the best to use for sound absorption, as the
porous nature of the composite wood is excellent for
trapping frequencies within the material.
10 ADVANCE TECHNOLOGICAL
ACOUSTIC MATERIALS
1. VERY LOW-
FREQUENCY ABSORBER

These little acoustic panels might not look like

much, but they can make a big difference in small
rooms, where sounds in the lower register can be
especially problematic.

Whenever sounds hit the low frequency absorber

membrane, they die down instead of reverberating.
Recording studios have used these acoustic panels
for years; and concert halls and other music venues
are jumping on board.
2. ACOUSTIC FOAM (AURALEX
STUDIOFOAM WEDGES)
Best Use: For improving the sound in small to medium rooms, like
recording studios, control boardrooms, and even small home theaters.

•NRC: 0.8
•Size: 12”x12”x2”
•Colors: Charcoal, Burgundy

Auralex is a well know acoustic foam brand that has dozens of foam

shapes and sizes that are perfect for musicians, recording artists,
podcasters, and home theater lovers. Studiofoam is their most popular
product, and the 2” wedges are the best sellers. They also make the
killer LENRD bass traps for your corners.
Studiofoam Wedges have an NRC rating of 0.8 and the anechoic wedge
can significantly cut down reverberation, slap, and flutter. The 2” panels
are Class-A fire-rated per ASTM E-84.
3. SOUND ABSORBING FOAM
(PRO STUDIO ACOUSTICS TILES)

Best Use: Use as an alternative to the Auralex panels. They offer

multiple attractive colors to break up with the charcoal that looks great
in any room.

•NRC: 0.65
•Size: 12”x12”x2”
•Colors: Charcoal with Blue, Red, Teal, and Purple

Pro Studio wedges are made in the USA from a high-quality acoustic
foam. The wedges can be installed on walls where noise reflection is a
problem, or as ceiling tiles to cut down echo and reverberation. Pro
Studio foam is no comparison to the cheap “egg crate” variety foam.
Most people use the Pro Studio Acoustic foam panels for absorbing
sound in both home and professional use. The bright colors liven up
theater rooms, gaming rooms, voice booths, and studios while absorbing
sound and killing echoes.
4. ACOUSTIC PANELS
(ATS ACOUSTICS)
Best Use: Acoustic panels are best for rooms where the appearance of
wedge and pyramid foam is undesirable. The wood framed panels look
more like a decoration or large picture frame than a sound absorbing
panel.

•NRC: 1.0
•Size: 24”x48”x2”
•Colors: Beige, Black, Burgundy, Ivory

For rooms where foam just won’t cut it visually, acoustic panels are
there to fill the void. ATS panels are constructed with Roxul ABF
mineral wool and a solid wood frame. They finish off the panel with an
all jute fabric cover to make it a great looking piece.
All that’s left is to hang them on the wall with the included hardware. 
It’s important to note the ATS Acoustic panels are sold as single panels,
but you can always buy multiple panels at one time to save on shipping
costs.
5. MINERAL WOOL (ROXUL
ROCKBOARD)
Uses: Rockboard is a rigid, fire-resistant mineral wool insulation
used for both acoustic and thermal insulation best used in
residential and commercial buildings.

•NRC: 0.8-1.1 depending on the thickness

•Sizes: 24” x 48” x 2”-4” thick
•Density: 8 lb/ft^3

Rockwool Rockboard is an awesome insulation board product

ideally suited for improving the acoustic insulation of homes and
buildings. Mineral wool is a natural material, and you can even earn
LEED points for its installation. It’s rigid, easy to cut to shape, and
is moisture and fire resistant up to 2150°F.
Another use of Rockwool is to make your own acoustic panels and 
bass traps. All you have to do is build a wood frame, fit the
Rockwool boards, and cover it with a nice fabric.
6. SOUNDPROOF FIBERGLASS (OWENS
CORNING 703)
Uses: Owens Corning 703 fiberglass boards are commonly used for
making acoustic panels for home studios, commercial buildings,
churches, and theaters.

•NRC: 1.0 beginning at 300kHz

•Sizes: 24” x 48” x 2” thick
•Density: 3 lb/ft^3

703 fiberglass boards are great for taming high-frequency noise in

home theaters, recording rooms, and any other place the acoustics
need to be improved. 705 boards work better at the low frequencies
needed for a bass trap.

Build your own wood frames and space them around the room, and
above offending noise sources. If you have to cut the boards,
remember to handle this product with care, as fiberglass is an irritant
and you should use the proper personal protective equipment.
7. ACOUSTIC PLASTER

Like acoustic plasterboard, acoustic plaster finishes have been around for
years.
Varying ingredients, compounds and systems can increase or decrease
weight and flexibility to further reduce surface reflections and in doing
so help with equalisation of the internal acoustics.

•Uses: shopping centres and theatres, universities, restaurants, office

spaces, entrance halls, museums, libraries, dining areas as well as some
very exclusive private residences.
•Pros: can further help to reduce surface reflection and resonance.
•Cons: although increased depth and weight can add to deflection of
sound waves, these are invariably used for increased acoustic calibration.
8. ACOUSTIC CEILING
SYSTEMS & TILES
Directly fitted to a ceiling or used as a structural drop ceiling
to create a grid system, acoustic ceiling tiles are similar to
acoustic panels to provide effective acoustic control.
Available in a wide variety of materials, sizes, depths and
designs.
Acoustic ceiling tiles are an easy solution for improving the
acoustical qualities of any space.

•Uses: in soundproofing ceiling spaces to create a finished

ceiling with a void above in which to house services, HVAC
ducting etc.
•Pros: allows a large surface area of acoustic absorption and
creates a finished ceiling.
•Cons: structural framing system sometimes on wire or steel
drop rods to the above structure to create a grid work for the
tiles to lay which needs professional installation.
 As almost all regular absorber panels are compressible and work on
9. ACOUSTIC the factor of absorption, they tend to also absorb and accumulate
ABSORBER moisture which can create an issue when trying to use them externally.

PANELS Some materials though are hydrophobic.

An alternative to these is external acoustic absorbers which are a rigid,
(EXTERNAL) durable panel made from recycled glass beads with an appearance of
a lightweight granite / stone.
Offering good resistance, they produce a sound absorbing, impact
resistant panel solution which is not affected by liquid or moisture.Also
noncombustible, chemically inert and non-fibrous.

•Uses: external where unwanted noise reverberates from buildings

although can be internal especially where an element of increased
impact resistance is required.
•Pros: good impact resistance and not affected by rain, moisture.
•Cons: relatively expensive but will perform in areas where other
solutions struggle.
10. ACOUSTIC FENCING (EXTERNAL)

Acoustic fencing can tackle noise from road traffic, trains and

railway tracks, and any noise from neighbouring plots.
Some fencing solutions will be as expected, constructed from thick,
post and rail or even chain link to increase performance. dense
materials to work principally on mass and density to block line of
sight.
These types of fence are great where a new structure has to be built
although quite time consuming and expensive due to the amount of
material and labour involved in their erection.
However, where a fence structure is already in evidence but not
performing quite as well as one would like, there is also a material
known as AcoustiFence.

•Uses: can be installed to perimeter fences, chainlink, hoardings to

block sounds entering from adjoining plots
•Pros: very effective soundproofing option in areas of high noise
pollution such as busy cities, noisy neighbours, and any other
exterior environment which is causing noise pollution
•Cons: Typical rigid construction, quite costly due to materials and
labour.