Improved Sound Absorption Properties of Polyurethane Foam Mixed with Textile Waste

Polyurethane foam is an outstanding material for various applications. It is manufactured by propelling liquid isocyanate-polyol mixture to form foams in the presence of a blowing agent. This paper comprises an experimental study on acoustic properties improvement of rigid polyurethane closed-cell foam, by incorporating various quantities of textile waste into the matrix. In order to obtain a homogenous, easy to handle material, an optimal percent of 10-50% textile waste was used. The sound absorption coefficient of the composite materials was measured using an impedance tube. The composite materials obtained have better sound absorption properties compared to rigid polyurethane foam. The noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of the composite material with 40% textile waste and 60% rigid polyurethane foam is twice as high as the 100% rigid polyurethane material.