Zeolite powder in Epdm rubber: Sound absorption effects

In order to enhance the sound absorption performance of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and develop a lightweight, cost-effective composite material with good sound absorption properties, especially in the low-frequency range, EPDM rubber was used as the matrix and zeolite powder (MS)as the filler. Porous sound-absorbing composite materials were prepared through mixing in a mixer and hot pressing in a vulcanizing machine, and their sound absorption properties were tested. By varying the content of MS, the thickness of the composite material, and the distance of the rear cavity, the sound absorption performance of the EPDM/MS porous sound-absorbing material was tested using an SW230 impedance tube. The experimental results showed that the sound absorption performance of the composite material improved with the increase of MS content. When the MS content was 20%and the sample thickness was 4 mm, the sound absorption coefficient of the composite material at 2500 Hz reached 0.65. When a certain thickness of cavity was placed behind the composite material, the sound absorption peak occurred only within specific frequency ranges. The experimental results indicate that the EPDM/MS porous sound-absorbing material has good sound absorption properties.