Motoring toward a quieter life

The plastic bumpers and tyres from scrap cars could help to cut vehicle noise in a project involving scientists from Bradford University, the Czech Republic and Japan.

[Recycling for a quieter lif on the roads, (JPEG, 7,046 bytes)]

The polymer bumpers are shredded into a small gritty substance, which is bonded into porous materials for use in noise control applications and in architectural acoustics.

"This is a win-win-win scenario", says Dr Kirill Horoshenkov of the University's acoustic group in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Polymer used specifically for the purpose would cost about £1,000 a tonne whereas many scrap polymers carry negative value because of the landfill tax and transportation costs.

"In addition, we are helping to get rid of plastic which is so difficult to dispose of in other ways. And it is recycled in an environmentally friendly fashion by reducing noise and helping to improve the quality of life." The problem of vehicle-generated noise, in particular, has risen with the number of cars and lorries, and planning guidelines have been laid down limiting the levels of noise to which households may be subjected. If traffic noise is expected to exceed the prescribed level, households near a new road may be entitled to insulation grants, but in some cases it may be cheaper to construct a single effective barrier one side of which is covered with an acoustically absorbing material.

There are many sound-absorbing products, from porous concrete walls to wooden fences filled in with fibreglass. But Dr Horoshenkov adds: "If you are going to use large amounts of sound-absorbing material in barriers or on buildings, cost is a key factor. This recycled polymer could be a viable and durable material." Bradford scientists are currently optimising the acoustic and thermal properties of the developed material. They are also testing other important physical, mechanical and chemical properties of the material in an attempt to develop an inexpensive process for its industrial production. They have teamed up with scientists at the Technical University in Brno, Czech Republic, and the Kyshu Institute of Design, Japan, who are experts in acoustic material manufacturing and measurement methods.

Dr Horoshenkov adds: "We have already applied for a DTI grant to develop this work to a commercial end and hope to be able to market the product by summer 2001."

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University - Public Relations - Annual Reports - 2000 Contents - Research

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