Researchers at the University of Bath claim that they have created the lightest sound insulation material ever. This material is a graphene-based aerogel. They have proven its performance even though it weighs only 2.1 kilograms per cubic meter. But it can suppress the noise to 16 decibels.

You may not think that weight is a big factor for sound-absorbing foam, but put the density of this aerogel in the background and compare it with traditional polyester polyurethane sound-absorbing materials such as Kinetics KUA. It is "developed to absorb the maximum sound energy with the smallest weight and thickness", with a density of 32 kg/m3. Therefore, in a specific application, this new "graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol aerogel" is squeezed into the Nomex honeycomb, and its weight is less than fifteenth of the same traditional sound-absorbing foam device One.

In the aerospace field, weight is the most critical. The University of Bath research team has identified aircraft engine cabin insulation as a key potential market for this technology, and for example, it is possible to reduce the cabin noise of jet airliners from the current 105 decibels. The roar was reduced to nearly 95 decibels.

Professor Michele Meo, who led the research, said: "This is obviously a very exciting material. It can be applied in many ways-initially in the aerospace field, but it may also be used in many other fields, such as automobiles and Ocean transportation, as well as construction and construction. We have successfully produced such an extremely low density by using a liquid combination of graphene oxide and a polymer, which is formed by whipped bubbles and subjected to freezing casting. In On a very basic level, this technology can be compared to whipping egg whites to make omelets-it is solid, but contains a lot of air, so there is no loss of weight or efficiency to achieve great improvements in comfort and noise." 

In their paper, the researchers said that they believe that aerogel will have other useful properties, including fire protection and electromagnetic shielding, and it is possible to further develop it to optimize its heat dissipation capacity, which will be very useful in terms of engine insulation. convenient. The team stated that it can be commercialized and put into use within 18 months.

The research was published in the journal Nature-Science Reports.