Research Progress on Sound Absorption of Electrospun Fibrous Composite Materials

Noise is considered severe environmental pollutant that affects human health. Using sound absorption materials to reduce noise is a way to decrease the hazards of noise pollution. Micro/nanofibers have advantages in sound absorption due to their properties such as small diameter, large specific surface area, and high porosity. Electrospinning is a technology for producing micro/nanofibers, and this technology has attracted interest in the field of sound absorption. To broaden the applications of electrospun micro/nanofibers in acoustics, the present study of electrospun micro/nano fibrous materials for sound absorption is summarized. First, the factors affecting the micro/nanofibers’ sound absorption properties in the process of electrospinning are presented. Through changing the materials, process parameters, and duration of electrospinning, the properties, morphologies, and thicknesses of electrospun micro/nanofibers can be controlled. Hence, the sound absorption characteristics of electrospun micro/nanofibers will be affected. Second, the studies on porous sound absorbers, combined with electrospun micro/nanofibers, are introduced. Then, the studies of electrospun micro/nanofibers in resonant sound absorption are concluded. Finally, the shortcomings of electrospun micro/nano fibrous sound absorption materials are discussed, and the future research is forecasted.