Acoustic analysis of short areca fiber-reinforced PF composites

Abstract

In this paper, mechanical properties of the fibers extracted from the dried areca fruit are determined and compared with the other known natural fiber coir. The tensile test of this fiber has indicated that the tensile strength and young's modulus are 110-160 MPa and 2.4GPa respectively. Randomly distributed Areca fibers are reinforced with Phenol Formaldehyde to form composite laminates. Variation of physical properties of these laminates was determined and compared with wood based particle boards. Sound transmission loss measurement has been made using two chamber acoustic measurements Technique. Areca-reinforced composite exhibits an excellent sound absorption compared to plywood. Acoustic analysis of the developed composites shows that areca Composite has good acoustic sound absorption so it is found to be suitable material for acoustic building like theaters, auditoriums, office building factories etc.