Other panels

In additon to ceramics, the SMaRT Centre can use waste materials to produce various flat panels with acoustic qualities for use in the built environment. 

This technology targets the recovery of assorted wood, end-of-life textiles and other materials with an emphasis on promoting multi-stage cascading use of mixed fibre bulk, as a low-carbon alternative feedstock, to create Textile Fibre Reinforced Composite (TFRC) panels for building applications.

Waste ingredients and the flat acoustic panels created from them

The noise absorption properties of the TFRCs holds much promise, since urban noise is considered by the World Health Organisation among the major sources of environmental pollution of global industrialised urban settlements.

However, creating these panels from waste materials often destined for landfill or incineration demonstrates a new way of turning waste into value-added products and materials.

The acoustic characteristics of the TFRCs is reported through the arithmetical mean values for the sound absorption coefficients (noise reduction coefficient, NRC), as a function of the density, pore size, particle size, and thickness of the panels.

Coffee grounds and used take away coffee cups are also reformed and used in the production of some flat panels.

NSW Environment Minister Matt Keen smells one of the flat panels made from coffee grounds waste which do emanate a coffee aroma.