An Investigation of the Sound Absorption Properties of Flax/Epoxy Composites Compared with Glass/Epoxy Composites

Natural fiber based composites are becoming attractive candidates for use in various applications owing to their mechanical and sound absorption properties. It has been proposed that they could potentially replace glass fiber composites owing to their minimized impact on human health and the environment. Though studies have been dedicated to understanding their mechanical properties, few focus on quantifying their sound attenuation behavior. We investigated the sound absorption properties of flax/epoxy composites and found them to be superior to those of glass/epoxy composites. A noteworthy result was that the noise reduction coefficient increased from an average value of 0.095-0.11 for unidirectional flax/epoxy composite and to 0.10 for cross-ply flax/epoxy system. Results suggest that flax/epoxy composites could be less expensive, viable and ecologically superior substitutes for glass-fiber based composites, particularly in applications where sound absorption is important.