ABSTRACT
The automotive industry is under pressure to produce a product (vehicle) that is more
recyclable and environmentally-friendly with a high fuel efficiency. At the same time,
customers are looking for a vehicle that will provide them with a comfortable ride and
low cabin noise levels. Therefore, the present work is concerned with the
development and characterization of new poroelastic natural fibre-based sound
absorbers, which have not yet been contemplated. This newly developed material is
to be recyclable and in addition, be an environmentally-friendly alternative to
synthetic absorbers which are currently used as internal trims in vehicles. Therefore,
several sound absorber variants, based on the above, were developed and tested in
order to select an optimally performing product. These sound absorbers are made of
different ratios of kenaf and sisal fibres, which are held together by Acrylonitrile
Butadiene Styrene (ABS) matrix. On evaluation of the results, it was found that the
proposed sound absorbers have airflow resistivity and sound absorption coefficient
values compatible to that of normal practice.