Experimental Study of The Sound Absorption Coefficient of Sawdust and Insulflex Using Kundt’s Tube

Abstract

Noise generated by machine vibrations during production processes is a significant issue in industry, as it can reduce workplace comfort and potentially accelerate structural damage to machinery. Therefore, vibration damping materials are required, either installed directly on machines or within the rooms where the machines operate. This study aims to analyze the performance of damping materials, namely sawdust and insuflex, as acoustic absorbers using the Kundt’s Tube method within frequency ranges of 100–200 Hz and 500–5000 Hz. Sound absorption effectiveness was measured using the Noise Absorption Coefficient (NAC), where a material is considered highly absorptive when the NAC value equals or approaches 1, and non-absorptive when the NAC value is 0. The test results indicate that at low frequencies (100–200 Hz), sawdust exhibited an NAC range of 0.34–0.37, while insuflex showed an NAC range of 0.145–0.201. At medium to high frequencies (500–5000 Hz), sawdust achieved an NAC range of 0.68–0.99, whereas insuflex ranged from 0.84–0.99. These findings suggest that both materials have strong potential as sound-absorbing materials, with insuflex demonstrating greater effectiveness at higher frequencies, while sawdust provides stable performance across a broader frequency range.