Acoustical Properties of Electrospun Fibers for Aircraft Interior Noise Reduction

High-surface area micro-and nanoscale electrospun fibers were produced for noise-reduction purposes using three different polymers: polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polystyrene (PS), and PVC. These polymers were initially dissolved in appropriate solvents and electrospun at various electrospinning conditions. The two-microphone transfer-function method of the Bruel and Kjaer (B&K) impedance tube was used to determine the acoustical properties of the electrospun fibers at different frequencies. Test results showed that the absorption coefficients of the fibers (200 nm to 7 mu m) were significantly enhanced at nanoscale. The reason behind this phenomenon may be attributed to the higher surface area of fibers and their interactions with more sound waves/air molecules. Overall, the findings of this research will open up new possibilities for the noise-reduction problem of aircraft, other transportation vehicles, and infrastructures. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000118. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.