TEAM: Tiina Härkäsalmi, Jukka Itälä (Aalto University) & Jani Lehmonen, Jukka Ketoja (VTT)
BACKGROUND
Foamed pulp is used for the production of sound absorbing and insulating panels. The material’s density, stiffness, permeability, heat insulation or sound absorption can be tailored. The form of the panels can be customized on multiple scales by moulding with e.g. laser cut and vacuum formed plastic mould, or 3D printed mould. Multiple colour variants can be produced by mixing pulp from just a few different colour batches.
All-cellulose panels are easy to recycle after use.The foam forming process is simple and requires a relatively light infrastructure. The mouldability of the material enables tailored solutions.
CHARACTERISTICS
Physical Properties
Stiffness : Semi-rigid
Structure : Closed
Surface : Textures
Transparency : Opaque
Surface Hardness: Semi Hard, Soft
Acoustic Properties
Sound Absorbing, Sound Diffusing, Sound Reflecting
Sustainability Properties
Bio-degradable, Recyclable, Lightweight, Low Carbon Footprint, Single/Mono Material
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
Interior Acoustic Elements. Multifunctional products that can tackle various needs in construction and renovation can be manufactured. The dyed pulp and the form together provide interesting variation in the material visual qualities. Moreover, the surface texture enhanced its tactile properties and gave the material a feel of higher quality.
Photos by Eeva Suorlahti.