Structural and sound absorption properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) nanofibers

Sound-absorbing materials are used to reduce noise pollution since noise is one of the important environmental factors affecting human health. Due to their high porosity and large specific surface area, nanofibers can be preferred as a better sound absorption material. In this study, nanofiber-based sound-absorbing materials are produced using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET) in the electrospinning method in order to obtain a thin and high-sound absorbing material. Another objective of this study is to investigate the performance of r-PET compared to PET from the sound absorbing properties points of view to contribute sustainability which is one of the most important issues of today. For these purposes, solutions of three different concentrations (10%, 15% and 20% owf) were prepared by dissolving PET and r-PET polymers in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA):dichloromethane (DCM) solvent mixture. It will also be possible to help sustainability issues by reducing environmental pollution and raw material costs by using r-PET. Samples were electrospun on a polypropylene based nonwoven structure using solutions at different flow rates (0.1-0.3-0.5 ml/h) and needle tip-collector distances (4–8 cm). The fiber diameter, thickness, bulk density, porosity and pore size properties of the produced samples were investigated. The sound absorption coefficient (SAC) was measured with a dual microphone impedance tube device. The relationship between the structural properties of the samples and the SAC was evaluated. SAC decreased with increasing fiber diameter, bulk density, pore size and increased with high porosity. These values were compared with different sound absorbing materials which are commonly used. According to the results, the developed nanofiber-based material with a 0.3 mm thickness has high SAC values compared to conventional sound absorbing materials with 10–16 mm thickness values, especially in middle frequency levels. Recycled polymer may be preferred when PET and r-PET nanofibers show similar results.