Measurements of anisotropic sound propagation in glass wool

The attenuation coefficient and phase velocity of plane sound waves propagating in three perpendicular directions in glass wool were measured in the frequency range 50-10,000 Hz. For glass wool of mass density 14 kg/m3 at the frequency 1,000 Hz, the attenuation constant for propagation perpendicular to the glass wool sheets was 75 dB/m, and for propagation parallel with the sheets 57 dB/m. For mass density 30 kg/m3, the corresponding numbers were 140 and 100 dB/m. The measured values were compared with calculated ones taking into account the movements of the fiber skeleton. The calculations need the elastic moduli, which were measured. For density 14 kg/m3 and deformation perpendicular to the glass wool sheets, the static modulus was 2.0 kPa, and for parallel deformation 120 kPa. The corresponding numbers for mass density 30 kg/m3 were 16 and 390 kPa.