Effects of different parameters on acoustic properties of activated carbon fiber felts

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of different parameters on acoustic properties of activated carbon fiber felts. Seven viscose-based activated carbon fiber felts with different specifications were selected to test the sound absorption coefficients in normal incidence by using transfer-function method and an impedance tube in an acoustic range of 250–6300 Hz frequencies, and to analyze the effects on acoustic properties caused by factors such as: thickness, bulk density, and fiber diameter. The result demonstrated that activated carbon fiber felts exhibited exceptional acoustic properties. As frequency increases, sound absorption coefficients of less-thick felts went upwards in the whole range of frequencies; when the thickness amounted to 9 mm, sound absorption coefficients showed a sharp increase at low frequencies and a fluctuation at high frequencies. With the increase in thickness and bulk density, sound absorption properties improved first and then impaired at the same level of frequency; with a decrease in the fiber diameter, properties enhanced at the same level of frequency. When thickness and bulk density increased and fiber diameter decreased, sound absorption coefficients of the first resonance frequency displayed an upward trend to different degrees, while the first resonance frequencies declined discrepantly.