Incorporation of Nanofiber Layers in Nonwoven Materials for Improving Their Acoustic Properties

Due to numerous developments in most industries and the increase in the usage of massive and powerful machines in every field, noise has become an unavoidable part of mechanized life and has brought about serious health hazards. The main aim of this work was to investigate the usability of polyurethane and polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for improving sound insulation properties over a wide band of frequencies and reducing weight and thickness of conventional polyester and wool nonwovens. The effect of the number of nanofiber layers and associated surface densities on acoustic properties was investigated. Sound transmission loss and sound absorption analysis using the impedance tube method were carried out as the main factors affecting acoustic behavior of samples. The results show that incorporation of nanofiber layers in nonwoven materials can improve both sound absorption and sound transmission loss simultaneously, especially in mid and lower frequencies, which are difficult to detect by conventional materials.