Unveiling the Potential of Waste Materials: Investigating the Novel Approach of Using Scrap Fabric-Inner Tubes Composites for Sound Absorption

Scrap fabric and used inner tubes, typically considered waste with no economic value and potential environmental issues, are being repurposed as an alternative composite material. This study uses the compression molding method to analyze the use of polyester fabric scrap and inner tubes as soundproofing composites. The process variables include temperature, pressure, and the composition of the used tire fabric rubber. The temperature variables used are 140, 150, and 160°C. The pressure variables used are 8, 10, and 12 ton-forces (tf). The composition variables of the fabric-rubber weight ratio used are 50:50, 60:40, and 40:60. Samples printed with compression molding according to the process variable combination scheme are then tested using an impedance tube tester to determine the effectiveness of sound absorption that the composite can absorb. The soundproofing test standard with impedance tubes is ISO 10140, with 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000, and 2000 Hz test frequencies. The test results show that samples with a fabric-rubber ratio of 60:40, a pressure of 10 tf, and a temperature of 150°C have the highest sound absorption coefficient value at 2000 Hz, which is 0.90817, and a Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.8114. This result shows that the combination of pressure, temperature, and weight composition affects the composite's density and porosity, which will then affect the soundproofing performance of the developed composite .