Methodology for Testing Acoustic Absorption of Lightweight Fabrics with 3D Microstructures Using Impedance Tube

Abstract

In this study, the limits of using the impedance tube, or Kundt tube, are examined using the two-microphone method to obtain the normal acoustic absorption coefficient when analyzing the sound absorption properties of lightweight acoustic fabrics. Lightweight porous fabrics with 3D microstructures that have been previously evaluated in reverberation chambers are used. For these materials, a test methodology will be developed in the impedance tube that aims to replicate the conditions of the tests carried out in the reverberation chamber. The samples are tested maintaining the same separation from the final rigid wall and are placed in the impedance tube in two different ways: first, exposing the flat samples to the wave, and second, in pleated format. The results show that it is not possible to consider the results obtained with both methodologies in samples of light textiles with three-dimensional microstructures to be the same. The similarity is limited to low frequencies (100–315 Hz) but bias, excessive dispersion of the data, different global results and shape indicators obtained suggest that both methods are not identical. © 2025 by the authors.