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Sustainable Acoustic Materials
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Sustainable Acoustic Materials

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 37604

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Jorge P. Arenas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Acoustics, Univ. Austral of Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Interests: applied acoustics; acoustical materials; noise and vibration control
Prof. Dr. Kimihiro Sakagami

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Acoustics Laboratory, Department of Architecture, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
Interests: acoustical materials; architectural and environmental acoustics and theoretical acoustics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to report on the latest research and development works carried out in the field of sustainable acoustical materials. Acoustical materials come in a variety of forms to provide sound absorption, insulation and vibration damping. In the last few decades, the use and variety of available materials has increased greatly. Recent advances in material science, manufacturing processes, chemistry, and nanotechnologies are producing significant improvements in the design, production, and performance of specialized materials and metamaterials. More recently, research has been devoted to sustainable acoustical materials, also called eco-materials. These environmentally-friendly materials are manufactured through a responsible interaction with the environment to avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allowing for long-term environmental quality. Examples of sustainable materials are those made of either natural or recycled (and recyclable) materials which are an alternative to traditional synthetic materials. Life Cycle Assessment procedures have indicated that the production of these materials provides lower environmental impact than conventional ones.  

Papers related (but not limited) to advances, development, innovation, analysis and/or optimization of sustainable acoustical materials or metamaterials that have been produced for the specific purpose of providing high values of sound absorption, vibration damping, and vibration and/or noise isolation are welcome within this special issue. Papers can be related to fundamental research, and/or applications, related to design, modelling, testing, and/or manufacturing of acoustical materials. Papers related to mixed and composite materials and to systems such as green roofs and green walls are also welcome. Papers submitted to this Special Issue will be selected via a rigorous peer-review procedure.

Prof. Jorge P. Arenas
Prof. Kimihiro Sakagami
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Acoustical Materials
  • Sound Absorption
  • Sound Isolation
  • Noise Control
  • Sustainable Materials
  • Recycled Materials
  • Natural Materials
  • Eco-Materials
  • Life Cycle Assessment.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

5 pages, 186 KiB  
Editorial
Sustainable Acoustic Materials
by Jorge P. Arenas and Kimihiro Sakagami
Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6540; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166540 - 13 Aug 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3989
Abstract
Technological advances in materials science, manufacturing processes, chemistry and nanoscience have led to enormous developments in innovatively engineered materials over recent decades. Among them, sustainable acoustic materials have helped to improve acoustical comfort in built environments, and their use is rapidly growing in [...] Read more.
Technological advances in materials science, manufacturing processes, chemistry and nanoscience have led to enormous developments in innovatively engineered materials over recent decades. Among them, sustainable acoustic materials have helped to improve acoustical comfort in built environments, and their use is rapidly growing in the architecture, automotive, aerospace and construction industries. These materials are manufactured through a responsible interaction with the environment in order to avoid a depletion or degradation of the natural resources, and to allow for long-term environmental quality. This Special Issue reports on some research studies on membrane absorbers and fibrous materials of natural origin that can be sustainable alternatives to traditional acoustic materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)

Research

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10 pages, 1520 KiB  
Communication
Sound-Absorption Properties of Materials Made of Esparto Grass Fibers
by Jorge P. Arenas, Romina del Rey, Jesús Alba and Roberto Oltra
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5533; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145533 - 09 Jul 2020
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 4988
Abstract
Research on sound-absorbing materials made of natural fibers is an emerging area in sustainable materials. In this communication, the use of raw esparto grass as an environmentally friendly sound-absorbing material is explored. Measurements of the normal-incidence sound-absorption coefficient and airflow resistivity of three [...] Read more.
Research on sound-absorbing materials made of natural fibers is an emerging area in sustainable materials. In this communication, the use of raw esparto grass as an environmentally friendly sound-absorbing material is explored. Measurements of the normal-incidence sound-absorption coefficient and airflow resistivity of three different types of esparto from different countries are presented. In addition, the best-fit coefficients for reasonable prediction of the sound-absorption performance by means of simple empirical formulae are reported. These formulae require only knowledge of the airflow resistivity of the fibrous material. The results presented in this paper are an addition to the characterization of available natural fibers to be used as alternatives to synthetic ones in the manufacturing of sound-absorbing materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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15 pages, 4911 KiB  
Article
Sound Absorption of Sustainable Polymer Nanofibrous Thin Membranes Bonded to a Bulk Porous Material
by Tomáš Ulrich and Jorge P. Arenas
Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2361; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062361 - 18 Mar 2020
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 3770
Abstract
In this paper, the standardized characterization of nanofibrous membranes used to coat three porous bulk acoustical materials (melamine foam, a polyester textile, and an MDF perforated panel) is presented. The membranes were manufactured from recyclable Polyamide 6 (PA6) and water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [...] Read more.
In this paper, the standardized characterization of nanofibrous membranes used to coat three porous bulk acoustical materials (melamine foam, a polyester textile, and an MDF perforated panel) is presented. The membranes were manufactured from recyclable Polyamide 6 (PA6) and water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) using the needleless electrospinning technique. This resulted in very thin membranes that had high porosity and very high airflow resistivity. The membranes were collected in a high-permeability nonwoven substrate. Measured results in both an impedance tube and a reverberation room showed significant improvements in the sound absorption performance of the bulk materials after incorporating the nanofibrous layer. The application of the membranes on the surface of a traditional air-backed perforated panel also improved the sound absorption, exhibiting a broad peak of sound absorption in the low-frequency range. This was particularly true when the membrane area weight was increased. It is concluded that these materials, manufactured as described in this paper, can be alternatives to glass, mineral, and ceramic fibrous materials, which have high carbon footprints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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15 pages, 2758 KiB  
Article
Predicted Absorption Performance of Cylindrical and Rectangular Permeable Membrane Space Sound Absorbers Using the Three-Dimensional Boundary Element Method
by Masahiro Toyoda, Kota Funahashi, Takeshi Okuzono and Kimihiro Sakagami
Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092714 - 13 May 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3161
Abstract
Three-dimensional, permeable membrane space sound absorbers have been proposed as practical and economical alternatives to three-dimensional, microperforated panel space sound absorbers. Previously, the sound absorption characteristics of a three-dimensional, permeable membrane space sound absorber were predicted using the two-dimensional boundary element method, but [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional, permeable membrane space sound absorbers have been proposed as practical and economical alternatives to three-dimensional, microperforated panel space sound absorbers. Previously, the sound absorption characteristics of a three-dimensional, permeable membrane space sound absorber were predicted using the two-dimensional boundary element method, but the prediction accuracy was impractical. Herein, a more accurate prediction method is proposed using the three-dimensional boundary element method. In the three-dimensional analysis, incident waves from the elevation angle direction and reflected waves from the floor are considered, using the mirror image. In addition, the dissipated energy ratio is calculated based on the sound absorption of a surface with a unit sound absorption power. To validate the three-dimensional numerical method, and to estimate the improvement in prediction accuracy, the results are compared with those of the measurements and two-dimensional analysis. For cylindrical and rectangular space sound absorbers, three-dimensional analysis provides a significantly improved prediction accuracy for any shape and membrane sample that is suitable for practical use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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12 pages, 1934 KiB  
Communication
A Basic Study on a Rectangular Plane Space Sound Absorber Using Permeable Membranes
by Kimihiro Sakagami, Takeshi Okuzono, Yu Somatomo, Kota Funahashi and Masahiro Toyoda
Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 2185; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11072185 - 11 Apr 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3156
Abstract
In this communication, the sound absorption characteristics of rectangular-shaped plane space sound absorbers without any backing structure using permeable membranes (PMs) are measured by reverberation room method. First, three types of PMs, in this study woven fabrics, are selected with different flow resistances [...] Read more.
In this communication, the sound absorption characteristics of rectangular-shaped plane space sound absorbers without any backing structure using permeable membranes (PMs) are measured by reverberation room method. First, three types of PMs, in this study woven fabrics, are selected with different flow resistances and surface densities. They are prepared in the plane rectangular-shaped space absorbers of two different sizes. The measured results are discussed through comparison with the existing theoretical and measured results for absorbers of the other shapes or configurations. The present results and discussion demonstrate that the reverberation absorption coefficients of the proposed absorbers are low at low frequencies and converge to a moderately high value at high frequencies. Especially, ones with higher flow resistance than the air impedance converge to a value greater than 0.5, which is a theoretically estimated maximum absorption coefficient of infinite single-leaf PM. This is inferred to be attributed mainly to area effect. From these results the proposed absorbers can be used effectively despite of their very simple structure. Also it is found that the proposed absorber can offer higher sound absorption than permeable membrane absorbers of other shapes or configuration. Regarding the effect of the size, the absorbers of smaller size offer higher absorption coefficients regardless of material properties of the PMs used in the experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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11 pages, 4897 KiB  
Communication
A Pilot Study on the Sound Absorption Characteristics of Chicken Feathers as an Alternative Sustainable Acoustical Material
by Asniawaty Kusno, Kimihiro Sakagami, Takeshi Okuzono, Masahiro Toyoda, Toru Otsuru, Rosady Mulyadi and Kusno Kamil
Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1476; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051476 - 11 Mar 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4519
Abstract
This communication reports the results of a pilot study on the sound absorption characteristics of chicken feathers (CFs). Recently, demands for natural and sustainable materials have been extensively studied for acoustical purposes. CF has long been left wasted, however, they can be used [...] Read more.
This communication reports the results of a pilot study on the sound absorption characteristics of chicken feathers (CFs). Recently, demands for natural and sustainable materials have been extensively studied for acoustical purposes. CF has long been left wasted, however, they can be used for sound-absorbing purposes to improve acoustical environments as a sustainable and green acoustical material. In order to clarify their feasibility, samples of CF absorbers of various densities and thicknesses were prepared, and their sound absorption coefficients were measured by the standard impedance tube method. The measured results were also compared with those of conventional glass wools of the same densities and thicknesses. The results show that CFs have potentially good sound-absorption performance, which is similar to typical fibrous materials: increasing with frequency. Results of direct comparison with glass wool demonstrate that the absorption coefficients of CFs are comparable and, at some frequencies, somewhat higher than conventional glass wools in some cases. Additionally, the first step for searching a prediction method for the sound absorption performance of CFs, their flow resistivity was measured and a Delany–Bazley–Miki model was examined. However, the resultant flow resistivity was unexpectedly low, and the model gave only a much lower value than that measured. The reason for the discrepancies is the subject of a future study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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Review

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25 pages, 12435 KiB  
Review
Sound Absorption Properties of Natural Fibers: A Review
by Tao Yang, Lizhu Hu, Xiaoman Xiong, Michal Petrů, Muhammad Tayyab Noman, Rajesh Mishra and Jiří Militký
Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8477; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208477 - 14 Oct 2020
Cited by 116 | Viewed by 12580
Abstract
In recent years, in an attempt to substitute the conventional synthetic sound absorption material, natural fibers and their sound absorption properties have been increasingly studied. This is due to the fact that conventional synthetic fiber has potential health risks for human beings and [...] Read more.
In recent years, in an attempt to substitute the conventional synthetic sound absorption material, natural fibers and their sound absorption properties have been increasingly studied. This is due to the fact that conventional synthetic fiber has potential health risks for human beings and significant environmental impact. In this review, existing and newly emerging natural fiber sound absorbers are summarized and highlighted in three categories: raw material, fiber assembly and composite. The sound absorption mechanism, several widely used prediction models and the popular acoustic characterization methods are presented. The comparison of sound absorption properties between some natural sound absorbers and glass fiber is conducted in two groups, i.e., thin material and thick material. It is found that many natural fibers have comparable sound absorption performance, some of them can be the ideal alternatives to glass fiber, such as kapok fiber, pineapple-leaf fiber and hemp fiber. Last, the conclusion part of this review gives an outlook regarding the promotion of the commercial use of natural fiber by means of theoretical study, efficient and environmentally friendly pretreatment and Life Cycle Assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Acoustic Materials)
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