Preparation and sound insulation of honeycomb composite structures filled with glass fiber

Abstract Honeycomb composite with excellent mechanical–physical properties had attracted extensive attention. To achieve outstanding sound insulation while maximizing the high‐performance of honeycomb composite, this article reported a honeycomb composite structure filled with glass fiber (HFG) based on a paper‐making process and the corresponding sandwich structure. Pulping parameters, mechanical property, air permeability and sound insulation of HFG were analyzed. The results showed that the hanging index and settling height of glass fiber slurry were inversely proportional to the beating degree, which was beneficial for reducing the coefficient of variation (CV) of HFG with value of 4%–6%. The maximum improvement in tensile strength and bursting strength of HFG were 70% and 53%, respectively. In addition, sound transmission loss (STL) of HFG was proportional to cell size, density, filling amount and thickness of the honeycomb. Compared to HFG, sandwich structure consisting of HFG and glass fiber/hot melt fiber panels effectively improved STL, especially at low‐mid frequencies. It was also found that designing holes on the surface of sandwich structure could further improve STL in certain frequency bands. The structure offered a lightweight and high‐performance response for construction, transportation and infrastructure. Highlights This article designs a new type of honeycomb filled glass fiber via paper‐making process, aiming to improve the comprehensive performance of honeycomb. By the design of embedded structure, the maximum improvement in tensile strength and bursting strength of honeycomb were 70% and 53%, respectively. By designing perforated, embedded and laminated structures, sound insulation has been improved, while reducing material quality.