Cellulose-based Material for Sound Absorption And Its Application – A Short Review

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang 25163, Indonesia
² Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Indonesia.
³ Research Collaboration Center for nanocellulose, BRIN-Universitas Andalas, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, 25163 Indonesia.

^* Corresponding author: meifal@eng.unand.ac.id

Abstract

Cellulose is a natural fiber potentially used as a sound absorber material due to its excellent properties, biodegradability, and lower environmental impact than synthetic materials and can be sourced from various plant-based materials, such as wood, Cotton, and Hemp. Which effectively traps and absorbs sound waves. The fibers dissipate the energy of sound waves as they pass through the material and absorb sound energy across a wide range of frequencies. Cellulose can be installed as loose-fill insulation, rigid panel form, composite with other matrix material, or foam. It's important to note that the specific characteristics and performance of cellulose-based sound absorbers can vary depending on the manufacturing process, fiber treatment, and the overall design of the sound-absorbing material. The size of cellulose fibers used in sound absorption can impact their effectiveness. Microfiber and nanofiber cellulose show different sound absorption characteristics. Microfiber has a good absorption coefficient at lower frequencies, and nanofiber cellulose performs better at higher frequency ranges. This paper involves a shortreview study of experimental methods and parameters used to regulate cellulose's sound absorption performance, which seems to be a potential alternative as an acoustic absorber, thereby reducing sustainability concerns related to synthetic materials in acoustics applications.