Developed at the Acoustics/Noise Reduction lab at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) institute in Dübendorf, this currently unnamed material has an ultra-thin profile and can be tuned to block specific frequency ranges to best fit its installation environment. The reduction of noise caused by traffic is one of the primary aims of the material, and in testing, the research team was able to achieve a sound reduction of 4 decibels. The material is akin to a cement foam which has specially-sized pores to trap sound of a specified frequency. The material’s thin profile makes it more easily integrated by architects into the construction projects.
“The varying pore structure of the mineral foams forces air particles to take a longer route to get into the material and out again. Despite the low thickness, this creates the impression of a much thicker absorber for the sound waves,” comments EMPA researcher Bart Van Damme.
See also: Ascendo claims the world’s largest subwoofers
