Effects of CNT loading on cellular structures and sound absorption of PU foams

Abstract

Efforts have been made to investigate the role of adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the sound energy decaying fillers on the physical and mechanical properties of polyurethane (PU) foam and thus to correlate them with its directly measured sound absorption coefficient. For this aim, the microstructures of PU/CNT nanocomposite foams were investigated and analysed through field emission scanning electron microscopy. Owing to the different microstructures of the samples, large differences were observed in their morphological and physical properties such as density, porosity, pore diameter, closed pore content and thus on their acoustic damping performance.