Novel sound insulation materials based on epoxy/hollow silica nanotubes composites

The performance of a sound insulation material is highly dependent on the technology adopted for its construction. In this study, we synthesized the hollow silica nanotubes (HSNTs) and used them as functional fillers to fabricate a sound insulation nanocomposite based on the epoxy. The sound transmission loss (STL) values of the nanocomposites were measured using a four-microphones standing wave tube. The results showed that for samples with thickness of 3 mm, the STL values of the pure epoxy resin and of nanocomposites with 3 wt% of HSNTs loading were 17 dB and 43 dB, respectively. When the thickness of the nanocomposite increased to 10 mm, the STL value increased to 57.9 dB. The improved sound insulation performances of nanocomposites have been attributed to the unique hollow structure of the hollow silica nanotubes. The mechanical properties and the thermal stability of the nanocomposites were also improved by adding HSNTs into the epoxy matrix.