Simulation, Measurement, and Optimization of Sound Absorption in Nanofiber Membrane Composite with a Nonwoven Material

Abstract

To address the increasingly complex demands of noise control, this study investigated the integration of a micro-perforated nanofiber membrane (MPNM) with nonwoven fiber felt (NFF), exploiting their synergistic effects to achieve efficient low-frequency broadband sound absorption. Through theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and experimental validation, the relationship between the sound absorption performance of the composite structure and factors such as the lamination sequence, bonding area, perforation parameters, thickness of the MPNM, and thickness of the NFF were elucidated. These findings provided new insights for the design of high-performance, tunable, sound-absorbing materials. The results demonstrated that the MPNM-NFF effectively combined two distinct sound absorption mechanisms, thereby expanding the effective absorption bandwidth, with particularly enhanced low-frequency sound absorption. Moreover, through algorithmic optimization of the structural parameters, targeted absorption of noise across different frequency bands was achieved, with the optimal average sound absorption coefficients reaching 0.70 in the low-frequency range, 0.91 in the mid-frequency range, and 0.82 in the full-frequency range. This research offered both theoretical foundations and practical guidance for the development of composite materials with high efficiency and broadband sound absorption characteristics, paving the way for innovative applications in noise control materials.