Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) waste leaves as a renewable resource for sound absorption: An eco-conscious approach

This study quantitatively investigates the sound absorption coefficient of sugar maple waste leaves, a renewable resource for eco-friendly sound absorption solutions. Chemically treated and untreated sugar maple leaves undergo rigorous evaluation, considering their thickness (2.0 cm), density (1.4 g/cm³ for treated, 1.1 g/cm³ for untreated), and surface porosity. The study employs the two-microphone transfer function method to assess their sound absorption coefficients. Results reveal that chemically treated sugar maple leaves exhibit a notably improved sound absorption coefficient (0.96 at 1550 Hz) compared to untreated leaves (0.93 at 1550 Hz). Furthermore, the treatment substantially enhances the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) (0.422) and Sound Absorption Average (SAA) (0.421). This study signifies a heightened ability to absorb sound across various frequencies, emphasizing the potential of sugar maple waste leaves as sustainable sound absorption materials. The findings contribute to the field of eco-conscious acoustic engineering.