Preparation of sound-insulating material based on discarded cow hair

摘要

In this article, we report a study on new functional materials based on the structural features of hair. In this study, discarded cow hair was treated with acid and hydrogen peroxide, dried, and pulverized to obtain a hair powder (HP). A sound-insulating film (SIF) was prepared via the mixing of HP with acrylic resin [poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)]. On the basis of the function for the SIF, the formation conditions, including the HP weight percentage, film-forming temperature, and solvent, were investigated. The sound-insulating properties were studied and compared with commercially available sound-insulating materials. The SIF had an equivalent sound-insulating power to that of an asphalt-based or a rubber-based board but a better power than that of a polyurethane (PU)-foam-based board with identical thicknesses in the 20-20,000 Hz sound wave. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46332.