Comparison of Absorption Coefficient according to Test Methods

Today, the use of the sound absorptive material is increasing to improve the room acoustics in the auditorium and music hall, etc. Usually, the sound absorption materials have been used to enhance the performance of a noise barrier and improve the room acoustics in construction site. Generally, the sound absorbtion coefficients are the most important factor reflecting the sound absorbtion performance. There are two methods to measure the sound absorption coefficient. The first one is the reverberation room method, and the second is the impedance tube method. In this study, we measure the sound absorbtion coefficients using these two methods, and then we compared the results of the sound absorbtion coefficients to look into the difference of results between reverberation room method and impedance tube method. Also we compared the results of the sound absorbtion coefficients with respect to the size of sample and the volume of reverberation room. From the experiment, we could see that the sound absorbtion coefficients are measured equally for different sample size. But the sound absorbtion coefficients are measured differently according to test methods and test conditions.