ACOUSTIC UNDERLAY MANUFACTURED FROM CARPET TILE WASTES

Abstract Carpet waste has successfully been converted into acoustic underlay materials that compete with commercial counterparts both in terms of performance and costs. This paper builds on an earlier paper [Miraftab et al, Autex Res.J.5(2), 96-105 (2005).] where granular/fibre mixing ratios, binder concentration and particle size distribution were shown to play a major role in maximising impact sound insulation capabilities of developed underlays. Product optimisation with respect to the particle size as governed by the aperture dimension and mean effective fibre length is further explored in this paper, and the developed underlay is compared with a selection of commercially available acoustic underlays. The results show that a 2mm-aperture screen at the granulating chamber output yields a waste stream with grains in the size range of 0.5-1.0mm and a mean effective fibre length of 2.75 mm which was most suitable to work with, and gave rise to samples with the best impact sound reduction performance. The optimised sample of 10mm recycled underlay (U2) appeared to perform better than most commercial systems tested. The manufactured underlay withstood, and in some instances, outperformed, during the standard tests as required within the BS 5808 protocol. The study concludes that recycling carpet waste to produce quality acoustic underlay with desirable impact sound insulation characteristics is technically feasible, and a viable alternative to landfill or incineration.