Sound Absorbing Polyester Recycled Nonwovens for the Automotive Industry

The subject of noise has received an increasing amount of attention from scientists, technologists and the public as a whole because a high noise level may determine the quality of human life. Therefore acoustic insulation is an essential need for both driver and passengers in order to reduce noise related problems. The use of recycled materials in nonwovens provides alternatives for the production of ecologically friendly acoustic products for the automotive industry. Recently noise absorbent textile materials, especially nonwoven structures or recycled materials, have been widely used because of the low production costs and their being aesthetically appealing. This paper reports the acoustic behaviour of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics which were produced with different thickness and mass per unit area. Comparison of the physical properties such as thickness, density, mass per unit area, air permeability, tensile strength and elongation was performed for all samples and data obtained from tests were statistically analysed with Design Expert software. In conclusion, it is observed that air permeability decreases with an increase in the mass per unit area of fabric. Higher air permeability results in higher sound transmission, and therefore less sound insulation.