A reasonable alternative for noise control in enclosures is based on the use of sound
absorption materials (porous and fibrous), which convert acoustic energy into heat,
due to air viscosity. The material acoustic absorption characteristic is determined by
its sound absorption coefficient, which depends mainly on frequency, sound
incidence angle, density, thickness and internal structure of the material. From the
Amazon, due to its enormous biodiversity, thousands of natural products and sub
products are retrieved, some of which are not completely used. Thus, many residues
reach other industrial sectors, such is the case of the coconut fiber, which can be
used in many ways. Therefore, the present work defines and describes an acoustic
panel manufacturing process, based on coconut fiber, including the experimental
determination of important parameters for noise control in enclosures. Also, a
numerical model is implemented to investigate cost and quality control parameters, in
order to assist the development and manufacturing of new panels. First, the
necessary information is collected to start the development process of coconut fiber
panels, following an “informational project” methodology. Next, all the steps related to
the panel manufacturing process are described, looking forward to obtaining its
acoustical, mechanical and physical-chemical main properties. From the numerical
simulations, one tries to analyze and predict the coconut fiber panel behavior (apart
from a commercially available acoustical panel), and investigate its influence over the
acoustical parameters of an auditorium (reverberation time, sound pressure decay,
and intelligibility). With the development of the coconut fiber panels, one expects to
contribute for the creation of new sectors on the local economy, mainly considering
the elevated costs of the actual acoustical panels available in the market. Finally,
another outstanding advantage of the coconut fiber panels proposed here is the
possibility of its usage in the context of regional architecture, where emphasis is
given on local materials.
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