Development of Sound Insulation Panel from Oil Palm Fiber
Kittichat Homaswin, Natawut Chaiwino

Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop sound
insulation panel from oil palm fiber (OPF). The study compared
panels made from OPF with other acoustic panels in the market.
This raw material is a byproduct from agricultural harvest. Hot
press technique with the pressure of 400 kg/m3 was used to create
the panel with the thickness of 20 mm. The temperature during
the compression was 150°C, and the force used for pressing the
panels for 8 minutes ranged between 25-30 kg/m2
. The amount of
pMDI applied as a binding agent was 5% by weight of the panel.
Sound absorption tests were carried out in a test box with sound
level meters. The results of the tests showed that the soundabsorbing property of the developed OPF panels with holed
surface is greater than that of the traditional OPF panels and
acoustic boards. It was found that different sizes and patterns of
holes have an effect on sound-absorbing capacity. The developed
OPF panels showed a good sound-absorbing capability in
medium-to-high frequency (500 Hz – 2000 Hz). The best sound
insulation panel made from OPF is the panel with a 5% by
weight of pMDI and has a density of 400 kg/m3
. The physical and
mechanical properties of the panels comply with the standard of
strength and mechanical properties of soft boards (Library of
Congress Cataloging – In – Publication Data).

Keywords: oil palm fiber; sound insulation; hot pressing process

Topic: Innovations in Engineering and Education