Nanofibrous Resonant Membrane for Acoustic Applications

Because the absorption of lower-frequency sound is problematic with fibrous material made up of coarser fibers, highly efficient sound absorption materials must be developed. The focus of this paper is on the development of a new material with high acoustic absorption characteristics. For low-frequency absorption, structures based upon the resonance principle of nanofibrous layers are employed in which the resonance of some elements allows acoustic energy to be converted into thermal energy. A nanofibrous membrane was produced by an electrostatic spinning process from an aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol and the acoustic characteristics of the material measured. The resonant frequency prediction for the nanofibrous membrane is based on research into its production parameters. The distance between electrodes during the electrostatic spinning process determines the average diameter of the nanofibers, and the outlet velocity of the material determines its area density. The average diameter of nanofibers was measured using the Lucia software package directly from an electron microscope image. The resonant frequency of nanofibrous membranes was determined from the sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss measurement.