Research Problem
Acoustic and thermal insulation are important considerations in modern building construction. Industrialization and urbanization have led to increased noise pollution and environmental warming.
Historically, wool fiber has been one of the natural fibers used for acoustic and thermal insulation. However, porous synthetic materials such as rock wool, glass wool, and polyurethane are now widely used. However, none of these materials are environmentally friendly, biodegradable, or sustainable.
Aim of Research
Zhang et al. (2018) evaluated the acoustic properties of various natural fiber-based composites alongside glass fiber-based composites and reported that jute fiber-based composites exhibited superior sound absorption performance across a wide range of frequencies [1].
Sengupta et al. (2021) found that among 15 natural fibers studied, Bhindi fiber demonstrated the best noise insulation properties and also exhibited excellent thermal insulation, including in comparison to jute fiber [2].
This paper investigates the morphological structure of Bhindi fiber to understand the factors contributing to its superior sound and thermal insulation performance compared to jute fiber
Materials and Methods
Bhindi fibers were extracted from harvested Bhindi plant stems through water retting, while jute fibers were obtained from NINFET, Kolkata. The morphological structures of both Bhindi and jute fibers were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Figure 1. Extraction of Fibres from Bhindi Plant Stems; a) Bhindi Plants in Field, b) Bhindi Stem in Bundle Form, c) Bhindi Retting in Stagnant Water, d) Bhindi Retting in Running Water, and e) Extracted Bhindi Fiber.
Results and Discussion
The use of sound absorbers is one of the most effective methods for reducing or eliminating noise in various applications, such as buildings, concert halls, automobiles, and aircraft. Textile fibers and structures are inherently porous, making them suitable for use as passive sound absorbers. The incident sound loses energy due to the air spaces present in these porous textile materials [3]. To investigate the morphological structure of Bhindi fiber, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was performed, and the results were compared with those of jute fiber. It was found that Bhindi fiber demonstrated superior sound and thermal insulation properties, attributed to its larger lumen area.
Figure 2. Cross-sectional view of a) Bhindi and b) Jute fiber.
Conclusion
The morphological structure of Bhindi fiber reveals its significant porosity, suggesting that it has strong potential as an innovative textile material for sound and thermal insulation applications in the future.
References
- Zhang S, Li Y, Zheng Z 2018 Compos Commun 10 163.
- Sengupta S, Basu G, Datta M, Debnath S, Nath D 2021 J Text Inst 112 56.
- Ghermezgoli ZM, Moezzi M, Yekrang J, Rafat SA, Soltani P, Barez F 2021 J Build Eng 35 102060.