Acoustic characterization of natural areca catechu fiber-reinforced flexible polyurethane foam composites

Abstract

The development of acoustic absorbers from natural resources is a novel approach in acoustics. In the current study, the effect of unprocessed raw areca fiber (AF) particle reinforcement on the sound absorption (SA) behavior of polyurethane (PU) foam composites is investigated. Influences of fiber weight percentage and graded distribution of fiber with varying fiber weight percentage on the SA coefficient (SAC) of the composite foams are examined through the impedance tube approach. Morphological studies are carried out with the help of FESEM images to investigate the acoustic energy dissipation mechanism of PU foam and its composites. It is found that the SA capability of the composite foam is enhanced by increased fiber weight percentage, graded distribution of fiber wt%, varying sample thickness, and air cavity length. In general, PU-AF composite specimens show a peak SA value of 0.95 around 450 Hz, which is not the case for other natural fiber results available in the literature. Theoretical results predicted using the JCA (Johnson-Champoux Allard) model agree with the experimental results. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.