An optimal design and application of sound-absorbing material made of

exploded bamboo fibers

N. TSUJIUCHI, T. KOIZUMI,
Y.OHSHIMA, T. KITAGAWA
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Doshisha University
1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321
JAPAN

Abstract

An acoustic material made of exploded bamboo fibers has been newly developed from an ecological
viewpoint. The basic acoustical properties of the material as the sound absorption coefficient, the characteristic
impedance, and the propagation constant were measured for the frequency range between 50 and 6400 Hz by
the transfer function method using two-microphone impedance tubes. In order to design an optimal
arrangement of the material, the normal incidence sound absorption coefficient was calculated from the results
of impedance measurements for the parameters of bulk density, thickness, and backing air space. We also
tried to find the best bulk density of the material, perforated facing, and air space. We applied the designed
arrangement of material to actual loudspeakers. The basic properties of loudspeakers such as the frequency
characteristics and the cumulative decay spectrum were measured. By controlling the sound absorption
coefficient at target frequencies, the optimal arrangement of the material more effectively eliminate standing
waves which exist in loudspeakers than the conventional materials in actual products. Sensory evaluations for
loudspeakers were carried out based on Scheffe’s method of paired comparison. Consequently, the validity of
fundamental design criteria have been confirmed for the sound absorption of the newly developed bamboo
fiber material under the restricted conditions.

1.Introduction

Acoustic materials play a number of important roles in acoustic engineering such as the control of room
acoustics and traffic noise. Acoustic materials are divided into three types: porous material, boards, and
resonance type boards. Porous materials are the most effective for noises that occur over a broad frequency
range. Acoustic materials have been developed for their use in sound absorption. On the other hand, acoustic
material supposedly has such additional benefits as energy conservation, advanced uses and the reuse of
resources from an ecological viewpoint [1]. Health concerns have also been raised over airborne glass fibers
that adhere to the body during building construction. Since glass wool is not the best material for human health
and the environment, we have adopted the safe, natural bamboo, which grows quickly, so it can be harvested
annually. Bamboo is effective as a resource because it is natural and easy to dispose of; it doesn’t cause
ground pollution even if it is buried in the earth, and it does not emit poisonous fumes when burned. In this
paper, an alternative sound-absorbing material is proposed that eases the load on the environment.

2. Sound absorption coefficient

When the homogeneous layer has the thickness L, the characteristic impedance Z c , the propagation
constant J , and this layer has the acoustic impedance Z 2 in the back, the acoustic impedance of surface
material Z 1 is expressed as:
Z 2 cosh J L  Z c sinh J L
Z1 Zc (1)
Z 2 sinh J L  Z c cosh J L
while the sound absorption coefficient is expressed as [2]:
2
(Z / Z )  1
a 1  1 air (2)
( Z 1 / Z air )  1

3. Measurement method

We used the measurement system shown in Figure 1 [3]. A random signal was generated from the
loudspeaker, and the transfer function H between the two microphones was extracted using a two-channel FFT
analyzer. The reflection coefficient and the sound absorption coefficient are expressed as follows, respectively,
where k is the wave number for air.
H  H  jkDx j 2 k ( Lx  Dx )
R jkDx
H (3)
H H
2
D 1 R (4)

Dual channel Personal

Amplifier
FFT analyzer computer

Dx Lx L L0

Z1 Z2

Mic.1 Mic.2
Speaker

Impedance tube

Air space
Porous material Movable piston

Figure 1. Block diagram of the impedance tube and the sample

4. Experimental results and discussions

4.1 Bamboo wool sound-absorbing material

Until now, crushed bamboo fibers have been used as sound-absorbing material. To obtain a sound
absorption effect similar to glass wool, however, the bamboo fiber material needs to be about four times as
dense as glass wool [4, 5]. To solve this weight problem, we have developed a novel material using the
explosion method. The resulting material is called “bamboo wool.”

4.2 Bamboo wool material

Fibers were separated from the woody phase using the explosion method, and very fine fibers, that is, the
bamboo wool material, were extracted using a home mixer. A thin composite fiber, polyolefin, was used as the
binder material. The sheath part of this composite fiber consists of low-melting-point polyethylene, and its core
is made of high-melting-point polypropylene. This difference between the two melting points allows a shaped
fiber form to hold together. After completely mixing the bamboo wool material and the binder material (10 %
wt.), we molded the sound-absorbing material using a metal mold in a hot press machine.
The sound absorption coefficient was measured by changing the backing air space depth and the apparent
bulk density of the material. Results show that the sound absorption coefficient increases in all frequency
ranges, and the first peak value of sound absorption coefficient moves from the high- to the low-frequency
range as the backing air space depth of the sample increases or the bulk density of the sample increases.
These basic properties of porous sound-absorbing material are confirmed. These results are shown in Figure 2
(a) and (b), respectively.
 1.0 1.0

Sound absorption coefficient

Sound absorption coefficient
0.9 0.9
0.8 Density Thickness
0.8
32 kg/m3 50 mm
0.7 0.7 Air space
Thickness
0.6 0.6 0 mm
50 mm
0.5 Air space 0.5 Density
0.4 0 mm 0.4 20 kg/m3
0.3 25 mm 0.3 30 kg/m3
50 mm 40 kg/m3
0.2 0.2 50 kg/m3
0.1 0.1
0.0 0.0
125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k
Frequency [Hz]
Frequency [Hz]
(a) Backing air space depth (b) Apparent bulk density
Figure 2. Sound absorption coefficient

4.3 Comparison with glass wool and bamboo fiber

Table 1 gives the results of the measurements of the fiber diameters of the bamboo wool, glass wool, and
the bamboo fiber using a digital microscope. Although the bamboo wool and glass wool have similar fiber
diameters, we confirmed that the bamboo fiber has a fiber diameter over ten times larger. Figure 3 shows a
comparison of the sound absorption characteristics of the bamboo wool, glass wool and the bamboo fiber. Also,
although the densities of the bamboo wool and glass wool are the same, it is confirmed that the bulk density of
the bamboo fiber needs to be about four times as dense as them to have a similar effect. These results are
explained by the sound absorption principle of porous material. For rigid-framed porous material, such
absorption is mainly attributed to thermo-elastic damping and viscosity loss generated while the sound
propagates through a large number of small air cavities in the material [6]. Of course, the amount of the
bamboo fibers per unit area increases when the fiber diameter decreases. In addition, the energy loss
increases when the surface friction increases. Consequently, the sound absorption coefficient increases.
Considering the above results, we solved the weight problem by using the bamboo fiber material because we
confirmed that it material has a similar sound absorption effect of glass wool.

Table 1. Comparison of fiber diameters 1.0

Sound absorption coefficient

Thickness
0.9
50 mm
0.8 Air space
Material Range of fiber size [㱘m] 0.7 0 mm
Bamboo wool 10.84 – 17.66 0.6 Density
Bamboo wool
0.5
Glass wool 11.07 – 12.73 0.4 32 kg/m3
Glass wool
Bamboo fiber 125 – 210 0.3
0.2
32 kg/m3
Bamboo fiber
0.1 120 kg/m3
0.0
125 250 500 1k 2k 4k
Frequency [Hz]

Figure 3. Comparison of bamboo wool,

glass wool and bamboo fiber

4.4 Characteristic impedance and propagation constant

The characteristic impedance and the propagation constant determine the state of the sound wave [7]. To
clarify the acoustic effect in the bamboo wool material, the characteristic impedance and the propagation
constant were measured for a material of densities ranging from 20 to 50 kg/m3. Results indicate that as the
bulk density rises, the characteristic impedance and the sound attenuation increase, and the sound velocity
decreases.

4.5 Optimization

The sound absorption coefficient was calculated for the thickness and the backing air space depth between 0
and 100 mm using the characteristic impedance and the propagation constant. The contour line was expressed
as the sound absorption coefficient of the averaged frequency between 500 and 4,000 Hz [8]. Although the
sound absorption coefficient increases as the thickness increases, the backing air space is barely influenced at
all when the bulk density is between 20 and 40 kg/m3. Also, the largest domain of sound absorption coefficient
of more than 0.9 is obtained when the bulk density is 40 kg/m3. However, when the bulk density is 50 kg/m3, the
domain of sound absorption coefficient of more than 0.9 suddenly decreases. This result shows that the
optimal bulk density of the bamboo wool material exists between 40 and 50 kg/m3. These results are illustrated
in Figure 4 (a) - (d).

Frequency av.
100 100 500-4000 Hz
Air space depth [mm] Sound absorption

Air space depth [mm]

80 80 coefficient
0.9-1.0
60 60 0.8-0.9
0.7-0.8
40 40
0.6-0.7
20 20 0.5-0.6
0.0-0.5
0 0
0 20 40 60 80 1 00 0 20 40 60 80 1 00
Thickness [mm] Thickness [mm]

(a) 20 kg/m3 (b) 30 kg/m3

100 100
Frequency av.
500-4000 Hz
Air space depth [mm]

80 Air space depth [mm] 80 Sound absorption

coefficient
60 60 0.9-1.0
0.8-0.9
40 40
0.7-0.8
20 20 0.6-0.7
0.5-0.6
0 0 0.0-0.5
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Thickness [mm] Thickness [mm]

(c) 40 kg/m3 (d) 50 kg/m3

Figure 4. Optimization thickness and backing air space depth

5. Adaptation to Product

The above evaluations were all based on the normal incidence sound absorption coefficient. However, the
sound-absorbing materials are used for cars, buildings, and loudspeakers, etc, the random incidence of sound
waves is carried out to actual material. Because it is easy to handle, we used a loudspeaker. The bamboo wool
material was evaluated by adapting it to the loudspeaker. The role of the sound-absorbing material in the
loudspeaker is to hold the standing wave inside the box.
Three identical loudspeakers (RSM-90: Roland) were purchased and designated A, B, and C. The inside of the
loudspeaker box C was changed in three ways: with the existing polyester material, without anything, and with
the bamboo wool material. The three conditions of loudspeaker C were tested together with factory-made
loudspeakers A and B and evaluated each one in relation to its frequency characteristics, phase characteristics,
impedance characteristics, distortion characteristics as well as the cumulative decay spectrum. The distortion
characteristic is defined as “the ratio between the execution value of the distortion component of an output
signal when adding sine waves to the loudspeaker, and the execution value of all output signals.” No clear
differences were found with respect to phase characteristics, impedance characteristics, or distortion
characteristics.

5.1 Frequency characteristic

Since the errors by the test-day and the individual differences appeared greatly, it was impossible to
compare only frequency characteristics results of loudspeaker C. So, loudspeakers A and B in which the
conditions did not change were noticed. By comparing these, it was confirmed that individual differences do not
change regardless of the test-day. Moreover, to simplify the comparison, the average frequency characteristics
of loudspeakers A and B and the frequency characteristics of loudspeaker C, from which individual differences
had been removed, were compared. Results of the second and third time are shown in Figure 5 (a) and (b),
respectively. Figure 5 (a) shows that big, which dips are confirmed to lie within the frequency range of 400 to
700 Hz, dips are influenced by the sound-absorbing material. Since flat frequency characteristics are better,
the sound-absorbing material was used to hold these dips. Figure 5 (b) confirmed that the dips of the second
time are held. Therefore, the bamboo wool material was confirmed to be effective.

90 90

85 85

Magnitude [dB]
Magnitude [dB] 80 80
Av. A-B Av. A-B
C’ C’
75 75

70 70

65 65
100 1k 10k 100 1k 10k

Frequency [Hz] Frequency [Hz]

(a) 2nd time (b) 3rd time

Figure 5. Frequency characteristic
5.2 Cumulative decay spectrum

The cumulative decay spectrum was obtained from the impulse response. FFT is performed using all the
data, and the values calculated as the frequency response become the basis. The data which transposed the
waveform data from t = 0 to arbitrary time t = tn to 0 is made. The frequency response in arbitrary time was
obtained by performing FFT using this data. And it is the cumulative decay spectrum that displayed these
values in three dimensions side by side in order [9].
Such an aspect in the loudspeaker box can be observed using the cumulative decay spectrum. Considering the
frequency characteristics results, the results are illustrated using the data to 4,000 Hz, and those for
loudspeaker C are shown in Figure 6 (a) - (c). Since the green domain characteristics do not change regardless
of individual differences and the errors on the test-day, the green domain was noticed. Under the condition
without the sound-absorbing material, a large green domain was observed, therefore this result shows that the
sound inside the box remained there for a long time. Compared with this result, for the bamboo wool material, a
small green domain was observed. Therefore, the bamboo wool material was confirmed effective.
Based on the above results, we confirmed that the bamboo wool material works effectively in an actual product.

4 4 4

Magnitude [dB]
Frequency [kHz]

Frequency [kHz]

Frequency [kHz]

3 3 3 30-
20-30
2 2 2 10-20
-0
1 1 1

0 0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
Time [ms] Time [ms] Time [ms]
(a) Polyester (b) Nothing (c) Bamboo wool

Figure 6. Cumulative decay spectrum of C

6 Sensory Analysis

6.1 Scheffe’s method of paired comparison

Sensory evaluations for loudspeakers were carried out based on Scheffe’s method of paired comparison.
Test subjects were nine male musicians. The two A and B of the three loudspeakers were factory made, and
the inside of C was changed with the bamboo wool material. Sensory categories were “Clearcut”, “Delicate”,
“Deep”, “Soft”, “Metallic”, and “Powerful”. We used scales that ranged from 0(tie) to 4(very) at intervals of 0.5,
and the test sounds were Woodbass, Drum, Sinobue, and English narration.

6.2 Results and discussions

The analysis of variance results show that the interaction between “main effect” and ”test sound” is
significant in “Clearcut” and “Powerful”, but Sinobue has different interaction from other test sounds. Sinobue is
not suitable for evaluation in “Clearcut” and “Powerful”.
We again carried out analysis of variance without Sinobue in sensory vocabulary. Then, we estimated
confidence intervals because we found a significant difference at 95% degree of confidence in all main effects.
Results are shown in Table 1(a)~(f). The interval containing 0 shows that the significant difference is none.
Table 1(a)~(f) show that sensory categories that has no difference in loudspeakers A, B, and has only
difference in loudspeaker C are “Clearcut”, “Soft”, “Metallic”, “Powerful”. The inside of the loudspeaker changed
with the bamboo wool material became more clearcut, metallic, and powerful than the factory made. Results of
the confidence interval show that the sound quality of loudspeaker C tends not to have “Deep”. So we found
that there is no difference between the inside of loudspeaker changed with bamboo wool and factory made.

Table.1 Confidence interval

(a) Clear-cut (b) Delicate (c) Deep
A-B 0.68 䌾 㵥0.16 A-B 1.00 䌾 0.22 A-B 0.56 䌾 㵥0.12
A-C 㵥0.08 䌾 㵥0.92 A-C 0.81 䌾 0.03 A-C 0.89 䌾 0.21
B-C 㵥0.33 䌾 㵥1.17 B-C 0.19 䌾 㵥0.58 B-C 0.67 䌾 㵥0.01
(d) Soft (e) Metallic (f) Powerful
A-B 0.17 䌾 㵥0.41 A-B 0.23 䌾 㵥0.33 A-B 0.70 䌾 㵥0.32
A-C 0.88 䌾 0.31 A-C 㵥0.31 䌾 㵥0.87 A-C 㵥0.10 䌾 㵥1.12
B-C 1.00 䌾 0.43 B-C 㵥0.25 䌾 㵥0.82 B-C 㵥0.29 䌾 㵥1.31

Conclusion

In this paper, alternative sound-absorbing materials using the bamboo wool was developed. The
performances of the bamboo wool material were evaluated by measuring the normal incidence sound
absorption coefficient and by adapting it to the loudspeaker. The following conclusions were drawn from this
study.

1. The basic sound absorption characteristics of the bamboo wool material were confirmed.
2. The optimal thickness and backing air space were calculated using the characteristic impedance and the
propagation constant.
3. The effectiveness of the bamboo wool material was confirmed, even when adapted for an actual product.
4. After being be adopted with bamboo wool, a loudspeaker obtained better the sound quality in “Clearcut”,
“Metallic” and “Powerful” categories.
5. The fundamental design criteria were confirmed using the newly developed bamboo fiber material for the
purpose of practical use.

Acknowledgements

This research is partially supported by a grant to the research project at Doshisha University named
"Development of functional bamboo fibers and their eco-composites". Also, Chisso Corporation is appreciated
for their material support.

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