Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx Please cite this article as: Sahil Jadhav, Mahesh Kulkarni, Materials Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2024.05.006 2214-7853/© 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 3rd International Conference on Materials Science and Engineering. Acoustics characterization of reinforced composite for noise reduction Sahil Jadhav , Mahesh Kulkarni * School of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune, India A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Acoustical properties Noise pollution Coefficient of absorption Sound transmission loss Impedance tube Natural fibers ABSTRACT These days, noise pollution is becoming worse due to the faster globalisation of nations, and its effects on human health go beyond hearing impairment. As a result, effective noise pollution control methods are needed. Use a composite reinforced with natural fibres for acoustical purposes. Natural fiber-reinforced composites have several benefits, such as being inexpensive, simple to produce, and eco-friendly. Additionally, natural fibre improves composite sound absorption, structural stability, and mechanical durability. The methods for assessing the acoustical properties of composites improved by natural fibres are described in the paper. Acoustical mea- sures, such as sound transmission losses and absorption efficiency, are also evaluated. This work also examines a factor that influences the mechanical and acoustical properties of composites reinforced with natural fibres. The variables that determine the outcome include the fiber’s characteristics, density, sample thickness, porosity, adhesive material, and filler substance. Increases in the percentage of fibre weight, binder material, and filler material improve the durability and sound absorption of natural fiber-reinforced composites. 1. Introduction In the modern day, composites are a very useful material. Two or more materials with diverse physical or chemical properties are com- bined to form a composite. They are blended to produce a new substance having characteristics distinct from the constituent parts of the original material (M. Dawoud & M. Saleh, 2019). There are three categories for composites: Metal matrix composites (MMCs), ceramic matrix compos- ites (CMCs), and polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are the first three materials on the list. Polymer matrix composites come in two basic va- rieties: fiber- and particle-reinforced polymer composites. Composites made from polymer (PMCs) are made of several short or continuous fi- bers that are linked together by a synthetic polymer matrix. Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are used to distribute stress amongst fibers in a matrix [1]. Natural fiber composites are made by fusing natural fibers with a polymer matrix. Natural fibers are derived from animals and plants that exist in the natural world. The finest characteristics for composites come from natural fiber [2]. Thermoplastics and thermosets are the two types of polymer often used in this composite. Thermoplastic matrix works well with the environmentally benign notions of bio composites, however its strength and recycling are severely constrained. The thermoplastic matrix tends to become softer at high temperatures, but cooling recovers its properties. A highly cross-linked polymers known as a thermoset, it lends the structure advantageous properties like versatility, strong durability, and modulus [3,4]. Poly vinyl alcohol [5], polyethylene [6], polypropylene [7] are some examples of ther- moset plastics. Natural fiber-reinforced composites are becoming more and more common in both academic and commercial settings. They are biode- gradable, totally or partially recyclable, easy to make, cost-effective, and have excellent structural stiffness. This composite possesses excellent acoustical qualities like sound absorption coefficient, reduction of noise coefficient, and the transmission of sound losses as well as high me- chanical qualities like flexural strength, tensile strength, hardness, etc. Additionally, it possesses favourable thermal and vibrational charac- teristics [2,4,8,9]. Natural fiber composite are used in building and other applications as these qualities increase. Because nations develop more quickly today, there is an increase in urbanisation, industrialization, and transportation, which leads to an increase in noise pollution. This pollution has substantial non-auditory health effects on humans and other living things, including physiologic abnormalities, stress, irrita- tion, hearing loss, cardiovascular ailments, and sleep difficulties. Therefore, it requires adequate pollution controls. Therefore, for acoustical applications like ceiling tiles, partition panels, and so forth, utilise a natural fiber-reinforced composite [10–12]. Natural fiber reinforced composites are manufactured using a variety of techniques, such as manual lay-up [13], suction bag shaping, vacuum infusion, or vacuum assisted resin transfer [14], and injection moulding * Corresponding author. E-mail address: mahesh.kulkarni@mitwpu.edu.in (M. Kulkarni). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Materials Today: Proceedings journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/matpr https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2024.05.006 Received 23 February 2024; Received in revised form 29 April 2024; Accepted 3 May 2024