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Owl-Inspired Coupled Structure Nanofiber-Based Aerogels for Broadband Noise Reduction
Yaning Sun1, Dingding Zong1, Yanzhe Li1
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Advanced Textile Composite Materials, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|May 29, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed owl-inspired nanofiber aerogels for effective broadband noise absorption. These advanced acoustic materials mimic owl feathers to significantly reduce noise pollution from sources like car engines.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Acoustics Engineering
- Biomimicry
Background:
- Noise pollution is a significant environmental hazard impacting human well-being.
- Conventional acoustic materials struggle to balance performance across low and high frequencies.
- Biomimicry offers novel solutions for advanced material design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a novel acoustic material inspired by owl feather structures.
- To achieve efficient broadband noise absorption using a biomimetic approach.
- To evaluate the noise reduction capabilities and mechanical stability of the developed material.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of owl-inspired coupling structure nanofiber-based aerogels (OSNAs) using emulsion-templated freeze-reconstruction.
- Mimicking the layered structure of owl feathers for distinct acoustic functionalities.
- Testing acoustic performance, including noise reduction coefficient (NRC) and decibel reduction.
Main Results:
- OSNAs demonstrated effective absorption of both high-frequency (feather layer) and low-frequency (cavity layer) noise.
- Achieved a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.58, increasing to 0.69 with a back air layer.
- Reduced car engine noise by 8.9 dB and exhibited excellent mechanical stability over 100 compression cycles.
Conclusions:
- The developed OSNAs offer a promising solution for broadband noise control.
- Biomimetic design, inspired by owls, leads to superior acoustic material performance.
- This research advances the development of materials to mitigate widespread noise pollution.
