Acoustic panels made with sound-absorbent wood are the undisputed protagonists of any acoustic conditioning job.

But, how does sound absorption work?

Elements, such as acoustic panels, used in architecture, construction and decoration for acoustic conditioning in rooms have the fundamental characteristic of absorbent materials: they transform much of the sound energy running through them, usually into heat.

Just like sound insulating materials reflect the sound, the acoustic panels used in wood walls and wood ceilings, let sound enter and then dissipate it. This means that the sound-absorbent wood used to manufacture acoustic panels serves this purpose thanks to the multitude of different types of perforations (round, oblong, square, channelled and even a combination of them) that allow air to pass through them so that the material can dissipate the sound waves as they collide against the walls of the cavity.

The thickness of the acoustic panels is also a key factor in determining maximum absorption. The sound penetrates wood panels only to a certain depth, after which added thickness is no longer necessary.

In terms of sound absorption, the most important aspects governing the behaviour of acoustic panels made of sound-absorbent wood are:

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– Wood density

– Porosity

– Panel size and shape

– Size, shape and location of the slots or holes

– Mounting distance from the ceiling or wall surface.

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Finally, we should bear in mind that the acoustic effectiveness of acoustic panels is expressed (among other parameters) in terms of Sound Absorption Coefficient, defined as the fraction of energy of incident sound waves which is absorbed by the panel.

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