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Acoustic foam is an open celled foam used for acoustic treatment. It attenuates airborne sound waves, reducing their amplitude, for the purposes of noise reduction or noise control.^[1] The energy is dissipated as heat.^[2] Acoustic foam can be made in several different colors, sizes and thickness.^[3]

Acoustic foam can be attached to walls, ceilings, doors, and other features of a room to control noise levels, vibration, and echoes.^[4]

Many acoustic foam products are treated with dyes and/or fire retardants.^[5]

Uses

The objective of acoustic foam is to improve or change a room's sound qualities by controlling residual sound through absorption.^[6] This purpose requires strategic placement of acoustic foam panels on walls, ceilings, floors and other surfaces. Proper placement can help effectively manage resonance within the room and help give the room the desired sonic qualities.^[7]

Acoustic enhancement

The objective of acoustic foam is to enhance the sonic properties of a room by effectively managing unwanted reverberations.^[2] For this reason, acoustic foam is often used in restaurants,^[8] performance spaces,^[9] and recording studios.^[10] Acoustic foam is also often installed in large rooms with large, reverberative surfaces like gymnasiums, places of worship, theaters, and concert halls where excess reverberation is prone to arise.^[9] The purpose is to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, resonance within the room.^[10] In unmanaged spaces without acoustic foam or similar sound absorbing materials, sound waves reflect off of surfaces and continue to bounce around in the room. When a wave encounters a change in acoustic impedance, such as hitting a solid surface, acoustic reflections transpire. These reflections will occur many times before the wave becomes inaudible. Reflections can cause acoustic problems such as phase summation and phase cancellation. A new complex wave originates when the direct source wave coincides with the reflected waves. This complex wave will change the frequency response of the source material.^[10]

Functionality

Acoustic foam is a lightweight material made from polyurethane (either polyether or polyester) or extruded melamine foam.^[8] It is usually cut into tiles. One surface of these tiles often features pyramid, cone, wedge, or uneven cuboid shapes. Acoustic foam tiles are suited to placing on sonically reflective surfaces to act as sound absorbers, thus enhancing or changing the sound properties of a room.^[11]

This type of sound absorption is different from soundproofing, which is typically used to keep sound from escaping or entering a room rather than changing the properties of sound within the room itself.^[11]

Acoustic foam panels typically suppress reverberations in the mid and high frequencies.^[11] To deal with lower frequencies, much thicker pieces of acoustic foam (often in metal or wood enclosures) can be placed in the corners of a room and are called acoustic foam bass traps.

References

^ "Acoustical Foam". universalpowerconversion.com.
^ ^a ^b Foley, Dennis (2020-02-05). "How Does Acoustic Foam Work?". Acoustic Fields. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
^ "What Is Acoustic Foam Made Of ?". SoundAssured. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
^ "Effects of egg crate foam as acoustics panel". pfa. 14 November 2019.
^ "Fire Testing Data". auralex.com.
^ Chen, Francine Robina (1980). "Acoustic characteristics and intelligibility of clear and conversational speech at the segmental level" – via Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
^ "Acoustic Treatment - Acoustic Panels". avbend.com. Audio Visual Bend.
^ ^a ^b "Basotect®". plastics-rubber.basf.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
^ ^a ^b "Acoustical Testing, Engineering and Design Services". TechLite. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c Everest, Alton (1997). Sound Studio Construction on a Budget. New York: McGraw-Hill.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Acoustic Foam Placement Guide - Amount & Positioning, What is best for you?". Acoustic Fields. 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

[1] "Acoustical Foam". universalpowerconversion.com.

[:1-2] Foley, Dennis (2020-02-05). "How Does Acoustic Foam Work?". Acoustic Fields. Retrieved 2020-12-31.

[3] "What Is Acoustic Foam Made Of ?". SoundAssured. Retrieved 2020-12-31.

[4] "Effects of egg crate foam as acoustics panel". pfa. 14 November 2019.

[5] "Fire Testing Data". auralex.com.

[6] Chen, Francine Robina (1980). "Acoustic characteristics and intelligibility of clear and conversational speech at the segmental level" – via Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

[7] "Acoustic Treatment - Acoustic Panels". avbend.com. Audio Visual Bend.

[:2-8] "Basotect®". plastics-rubber.basf.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

[:3-9] "Acoustical Testing, Engineering and Design Services". TechLite. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

[autogenerated1-10] Everest, Alton (1997). Sound Studio Construction on a Budget. New York: McGraw-Hill.

[:0-11] "Acoustic Foam Placement Guide - Amount & Positioning, What is best for you?". Acoustic Fields. 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

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+{{short description|Open celled foam used for soundproofing}}
-{{original research|date=January 2017}}
+[[File:Acoustic foam closeup.jpg|thumb|A [[close-up image]] of acoustic foam.]]
-{{unreferenced|date=August 2011}}
+'''Acoustic foam''' is an open celled [[foam]] used for [[acoustic treatment]]. It attenuates airborne sound waves, reducing their [[amplitude]], for the purposes of [[noise reduction]] or [[noise control]].<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.universalpowerconversion.com/acoustical-foam|title= Acoustical Foam|website= universalpowerconversion.com}}</ref> The energy is dissipated as [[heat]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Foley|first=Dennis|date=2020-02-05|title=How Does Acoustic Foam Work?|url=https://www.acousticfields.com/how-does-acoustic-foam-work/|access-date=2020-12-31|website=Acoustic Fields|language=en-US}}</ref> Acoustic foam can be made in several different colors, sizes and thickness.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Is Acoustic Foam Made Of ?|url=https://www.soundassured.com/blogs/blog/what-is-acoustic-foam-made-of|access-date=2020-12-31|website=SoundAssured|language=en}}</ref>
+Acoustic foam can be attached to walls, ceilings, doors, and other features of a room to control noise levels, vibration, and echoes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Effects of egg crate foam as acoustics panel|date=14 November 2019|publisher=pfa|url=http://www.partfoam.com/eggcratefoam.html}}</ref>
-'''Acoustic foam''' is an open celled [[foam]] used for [[acoustic treatment]]. It attenuates airborne [[sound waves]] by increasing air resistance, thus reducing the [[amplitude]] of the waves.
-<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.universalpowerconversion.com/acoustical-foam|title= Acoustical Foam|website= universalpowerconversion.com}}</ref> The energy is dissipated as [[heat]].{{cn|date=January 2017}} Acoustic foam can be made in several different colors, sizes and thickness.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
+Many acoustic foam products are treated with [[dye]]s and/or [[fire retardant]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.auralex.com/tools/testing-data/fire-testing-data/ |title= Fire Testing Data |website= auralex.com}}</ref>
-Acoustic foam can be attached to walls, ceilings, doors, and other features of a room to control noise levels, vibration, and echoes.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
-Many acoustic foam products are treated with [[dye]]s and/or [[fire retardant]]s.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
 == Uses ==
-The objective of acoustic foam is to improve the sound quality by removing residual sound in any space.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chen|first=Francine Robina|date=1980|title=Acoustic characteristics and intelligibility of clear and conversational speech at the segmental level.|url=|journal=|volume=|pages=|via=Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}</ref>This purpose requires strategic placement of acoustic foam panels on walls, ceiling and floors, effectively eliminating [[Acoustic resonance|resonance]] within the room.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
+The objective of acoustic foam is to improve or change a room's sound qualities by controlling residual sound through absorption.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chen|first=Francine Robina|date=1980|title=Acoustic characteristics and intelligibility of clear and conversational speech at the segmental level.|via=Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}</ref> This purpose requires strategic placement of acoustic foam panels on walls, ceilings, floors and other surfaces. Proper placement can help effectively manage [[Acoustic resonance|resonance]] within the room and help give the room the desired sonic qualities.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.avbend.com/acoustic-treatment |title= Acoustic Treatment - Acoustic Panels |agency= Audio Visual Bend |website= avbend.com}}</ref>
 === Acoustic enhancement ===
+The objective of acoustic foam is to enhance the sonic properties of a room by effectively managing unwanted reverberations.<ref name=":1" /> For this reason, acoustic foam is often used in restaurants,<ref name=":2" /> performance spaces,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Acoustical Testing, Engineering and Design Services|url=https://www.techlite.com/about-us/acoustical-testing-engineering-and-design-services/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=TechLite|language=en-US}}</ref> and [[recording studio]]s.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book|last1=Everest|first1=Alton|title=Sound Studio Construction on a Budget|date=1997|publisher=New York: McGraw-Hill}}</ref> Acoustic foam is also often installed in large rooms with large, reverberative surfaces like gymnasiums, places of worship, theaters, and concert halls where excess reverberation is prone to arise.<ref name=":3" /> The purpose is to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, resonance within the room.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In unmanaged spaces without acoustic foam or similar sound absorbing materials, sound waves reflect off of surfaces and continue to bounce around in the room. When a wave encounters a change in acoustic impedance, such as hitting a solid surface, acoustic reflections transpire. These reflections will occur many times before the wave becomes inaudible. Reflections can cause acoustic problems such as phase summation and phase cancellation. A new complex wave originates when the direct source wave coincides with the reflected waves. This complex wave will change the frequency response of the source material.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
-The objective is to enhance the properties of sound by improving speech clarity and [[sound quality]].{{cn|date=January 2017}} For this reason, acoustic foam is often used in [[recording studio]]s.{{cn|date=January 2017}} The purpose is to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, resonance within the room.{{cn|date=January 2017}} This is achieved by placing similar sized pieces of foam, often in the shape of cones or triangles, on opposite walls.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
 === Functionality ===
-Acoustic foam is a lightweight material made from polyurethane foam either polyether or polyester, and also extruded [[melamine foam]].{{cn|date=January 2017}} It is usually cut into tiles - often with pyramid or wedge shapes - which are suited to placing on the walls of a recording studio or a similar type of environment to act as a sound absorber, thus enhancing the sound quality within a room.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
+Acoustic foam is a lightweight material made from polyurethane (either polyether or polyester) or extruded [[melamine foam]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Basotect®|url=https://plastics-rubber.basf.com/global/en/performance_polymers/products/basotect.html|access-date=2021-01-19|website=plastics-rubber.basf.com|language=en-US}}</ref> It is usually cut into tiles. One surface of these tiles often features pyramid, cone, wedge, or uneven cuboid shapes. Acoustic foam tiles are suited to placing on sonically reflective surfaces to act as sound absorbers, thus enhancing or changing the sound properties of a room.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2014-07-31|title=Acoustic Foam Placement Guide - Amount & Positioning, What is best for you?|url=https://www.acousticfields.com/acoustic-foam-placement-guide/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Acoustic Fields|language=en-US}}</ref>
-Acoustic foam reduces or eliminates echoes and background noises by controlling the [[reverberation]] that sound can make by bouncing off walls.{{cn|date=January 2017}} This type of sound absorption is different from soundproofing, which is typically used to keep sound from escaping or entering a room.{{cn|date=January 2017}} Therefore, acoustic foam is installed in large rooms like churches, synagogues, concert halls.{{cn|date=January 2017}} These rooms have large, flat space and noise will certainly bounce around in the room.{{cn|date=January 2017}} These sound absorbers are used to improve the acoustics of the room, which thereby reduces noise in the room.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
+This type of sound absorption is different from soundproofing, which is typically used to keep sound from escaping or entering a room rather than changing the properties of sound within the room itself.<ref name=":0" />
+Acoustic foam panels typically suppress reverberations in the mid and high frequencies.<ref name=":0" /> To deal with lower frequencies, much thicker pieces of acoustic foam (often in metal or wood enclosures) can be placed in the corners of a room and are called acoustic foam bass traps.
-Acoustic foam typically deals more with the mid and high frequencies.{{cn|date=January 2017}} To deal with lower frequencies, much thicker pieces of acoustic foam are needed; large pieces of acoustic foam are often placed in the corners of a room and are called acoustic foam corner [[bass trap]]s.{{cn|date=January 2017}}
 ==See also==
-*[[Sorbothane]]
+* [[Anechoic chamber]]
-*[[Bushing (isolator)]]
+* [[Bushing (isolator)]]
-*[[Anechoic chamber]]
+* [[Polystyrene]]
-*[[Soundproofing]]
+* [[Polyurethane]]
+* [[Sorbothane]]
-*[[Vibration isolation]]
-*[[Polystyrene]]
+* [[Soundproofing]]
-*[[Styrofoam]]
+* [[Styrofoam]]
+* [[Vibration isolation]]
-*[[Polyurethane]]
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
+[[Category:Acoustics]]
 [[Category:Foams]]
 [[Category:Noise reduction]]
-[[Category:Acoustics]]
+[[Category:Noise control]]