Material Construction, Manufacturing Processes and Acoustic Performance Characteristics of Fibrous Absorber Materials Used in the Automotive Industry

Fibrous products have been used as automotive acoustical absorber materials since the early years of the industry. In the last decade, however, advances in materials, manufacturing processes, construction, surface layer treatments, bonding agents and post processing techniques have produced a new range of high performance materials. In addition, the proliferation of acoustical test equipment, advances in material prediction capabilities, and supplier competition have contributed to a significant increase in sound absorption capabilities across the supply base. This paper is a review of the materials, acoustical performance, factors driving performance, and the manufacturing processes of various fiber absorber materials that are commercially available and in production in today's vehicles.