Design, preparation and mechanism study of lightweight composite materials for integration of sound absorption and structural bearing

Abstract

With the development of society, on the one hand, industrial and traffic noise pollution has become a serious problem, and on the other hand, people's demands for high-quality of their living environment are also increasing. Thus, the issue of noise pollution, which significantly impacts life quality, is receiving increasing attention from researchers around the world. Recent advancements have seen sound absorption materials evolve from basic porous materials and micro perforated plates to sophisticated acoustic metamaterials, exhibiting progressively superior performance. However, these materials typically lack the desired combination of sound absorption performance and strength, as sound absorption capacity and mechanical robustness are often inversely related.
Therefore, this study first improved the micro perforated plate-honeycomb structure, utilizing the principle of hierarchical pore structure to greatly enhance sound absorption ability in the low frequency range without significantly changing the weight of the structure. Subsequently, a folded structure made of woven fabric composites was designed using the concept of origami. The results showed that the folded structure can maintain the sound absorption coefficient over 0.4 in the range of 400-6300 Hz, realizing broadband sound absorption. Finally, membrane metamaterials was combined with the folded structure to achieve the lightweight, high-strength, and high-efficiency sound absorption ability. Finite element model and theoretical model were established to analyze the sound absorption mechanisms of the structures. This research provides the theoretical basis and design ideas for lightweight and high strength sound absorption composite materials. The resulting structure is not only functionally effective but also simple and easy to manufacture, indicating significant potential for engineering applications and scientific advancement.

Date of Award	Nov 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Xiaoling Liu (Supervisor), Xiaosu Yi (Supervisor) & Jian Yang (Supervisor)