Milkweed Fibre Acoustic Insulation

Milkweed floss hollow fibre structure (lumen fraction 80–86%) provides sound absorption coefficients (α) of 0.75–0.95 at 1,000–4,000 Hz frequency range when needlepunched into nonwoven batts at 500–1,500 g/m² and 20–50 mm thickness, measured per ISO 10534-2 impedance tube method. Performance exceeds polyester fibrefill (α 0.55–0.75) and approaches rock wool (α 0.85–0.95) at equivalent thickness and density. Resonant frequency peak at 800–2,000 Hz aligns with human speech frequency range (300–3,400 Hz), making milkweed particularly effective for automotive cabin noise reduction and architectural acoustic panel applications. Milkweed-jute composite panels (70:30 ratio, 25 mm, 1,200 g/m²) achieve noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.75–0.85 (ASTM C423). Fully biodegradable panel construction enables circular end-of-life composting versus landfill for conventional fibreglass acoustic products.