Sound absorption performance test of grass compression board to promote resource circulation

Abstract

Grass resources such as miscanthus sinensis, reeds, and rushes have been used as materials for roofs and floors in Japan since ancient times. These materials are the most eco-friendly and sustainable building materials from the viewpoint of resource recycling, but their use has been declining in modern times due to the spread of high-performance building materials created in the process of modern industrialization. This research is to find a way to utilize such grass resources as sound absorbing materials in interior spaces as one possibility to utilize them again in modern life, and to explore their practical possibilities. As a result of measuring the sound absorption performance of compression-molded boards made from grass resources at different densities and thicknesses, it was confirmed that boards made from Miscanthus sinensis at a density of 0.35 g/cm3 showed a peak sound absorption at around 900 Hz, indicating high sound absorption performance in the sound range of human speech. COVID-19 has caused the problem of noisy talking voices from online meetings in offices, and demand for this material can be expected as one of the means to solve this problem.