E33.01 - Sound Absorption

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.  
5.2 The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.  
5.3 Diffraction effects4 usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.  
5.4 The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
5.5 Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Te...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Test Method E2235.  
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The sound absorption of a material that covers a flat surface depends not only on the physical properties of the material but also on the way in which the material is mounted over the surface. The mountings specified in these practices are intended to simulate in the laboratory conditions that exist in normal use.  
4.2 Some of the specified mountings require special fixtures or minor deviations from normal practice. These fixtures or deviations are to be used only during laboratory tests and should not be specified for practical installations. They are noted in the specifications for the mountings in question by the phrase “for laboratory testing only.”  
4.3 Test reports may refer to these mountings by type designation instead of providing a detailed description of the mounting used.
SCOPE
1.1 These practices cover test specimen mountings to be used during sound absorption tests performed in accordance with Test Method C423.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to inch-pound units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The acoustical impedance properties of a sound absorptive material are related to its physical properties, such as airflow resistance, porosity, elasticity, and density. As such, the measurements described in this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.  
5.2 Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients are more useful than random incidence coefficients in certain situations. They are used, for example, to predict the effect of placing material in a small enclosed space, such as inside a machine.  
5.3 Estimates of the random incidence or statistical absorption coefficients for materials can be obtained from normal incidence impedance data. For materials that are locally reacting, that is, without sound propagation inside the material parallel to its surface, statistical absorption coefficients can be estimated from specific normal acoustic impedance values using an expression derived by London (1).5 Locally reacting materials include those with high internal losses parallel with the surface such as porous or fibrous materials of high density or materials that are backed by partitioned cavities such as a honeycomb core. Formulas for estimating random incidence sound absorption properties for both locally and bulk-reacting materials, as well as for multilayer systems with and without air spaces have also been developed (2).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The specific airflow resistance of an acoustical material is one of the properties that determine its sound-absorptive and sound-transmitting properties. Measurement of specific airflow resistance is useful during product development, for quality control during manufacture, and for specification purposes.  
5.2 Valid measurements are made only in the region of laminar airflow where, aside from random measurement errors, the airflow resistance (R = P/U) is constant. When the airflow is turbulent, the apparent airflow resistance increases with an increase of volume velocity and the term “airflow resistance” does not apply.  
5.3 The specific airflow resistance measured by this test method may differ from the specific resistance measured by the impedance tube method in Test Method E384 for two reasons. In the presence of sound, the particle velocity inside a porous material is alternating while in this test method, the velocity is constant and in one direction only. Also, the particle velocity inside a porous material is not the same as the linear velocity measured outside the specimen.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.  
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10 000 mks rayls (Pa·s/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 mm/s to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 Pa to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.  
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4.1 Table 1 is provided for user to convert into cgs units.    
cgs acoustic ohm  
mks acoustic ohm (Pa·s/m3)  
105  
cgs rayl  
mks rayl (Pa·s/m)  
10    
cgs rayl/cm  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
103  
cgs rayl/in.  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
394  
mks rayl/in.  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
39.4  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Several ASTM test methods to evaluate the sound-insulating properties of building elements require the measurement of room sound absorption as part of the procedure. The room sound absorption in these standards appears in an equation in the form 10 log (x/A), where x is a quantity with the same units as A, m2. Room sound absorption is calculated from the decay rate using Eq 1.  
5.2 The requirements of this standard have been chosen so the uncertainty associated with the measurement of room sound absorption will be acceptably small so long as the logarithm of the absorption is being used in calculations.  
5.3 Other test methods should specify explicitly that they make use of this test method.  
5.4 Where measurement requirements in the parent standard differ from those given here, the requirements in the parent standard shall be satisfied.  
5.5 This test method shall not be used when room sound absorption or decay rate is to be used directly to satisfy some criterion, for example in a room that must not be overly reverberant so speech will be intelligible.
Note 1: The uncertainty of the room sound absorption obtained will usually be too high and additional measurements are necessary.  
5.6 Any companion standard may specify the use of the procedures in this method for determining whether the decay rates in a room are slow enough to satisfy the requirements of the companion standard. The measured decay rates shall still be used only to calculate the logarithm of the room absorption.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound decay rate in rooms and the calculation of the sound absorption of the room and its contents. The sound absorption so calculated may be used in calculations in sound insulation test methods.  
1.2 The method shall be used only in conjunction with other test methods where the logarithm of the sound absorption is used in formulas. It is not sufficiently precise for use in situations where room sound absorption is to be used without taking logarithms.  
1.3 For laboratory measurements of the sound absorption of materials and objects, Test Method C423 should be used.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.  
5.2 Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.  
5.3 This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).
Note 2: The classification, “locally-reacting” includes fibrous materials having high internal losses. Formulas have been developed for converting sound absorption properties from normal incidence to random incidence, for both locally-reacting and bulk-reacing materials (3).  
5.4 Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.  
1.2 Laboratory Accreditation—A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 There are several purposes of this test:  
5.1.1 For transmission loss: (a) to characterize the sound insulation characteristics of materials in a less expensive and less time consuming approach than Test Method E90 and ISO 140-3 (“reverberant room methods”),  (b) to allow small samples tested when larger samples are impossible to construct or to transport, (c) to allow a rapid technique that does not require an experienced professional to run.  
5.1.2 For transfer matrix: (a) to determine additional acoustic properties of the material; (b) to allow calculation of acoustic properties of built-up or composite materials by the combination of their individual transfer matrices.  
5.2 There are significant differences between this method and that of the more traditional reverberant room method. Specifically, in this approach the sound impinges on the specimen in a perpendicular direction (“normal incidence”) only, compared to the random incidence of traditional methods. Additionally, revereration room methods specify certain minimum sizes for test specimens which may not be practical for all materials. At present the correlation, if any, between the two methods is not known. Even though this method may not replicate the reverberant room methods for measuring the transmission loss of materials, it can provide comparison data for small specimens, something that cannot be done in the reverberant room method. Normal incidence transmission loss may also be useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example, a closely-fitted machine enclosure or portable electronic device.  
5.3 Transmission loss is not only a property of a material, but is also strongly dependent on boundary conditions inherent in the method and details of the way the material is mounted. This must be considered in the interpretation of the results obtained by this test method.  
5.4 The quantities are measured as a functio...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of a tube, four microphones, and a digital frequency analysis system for the measurement of normal incident transmission loss and other important acoustic properties of materials by determination of the acoustic transfer matrix.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.  
5.2 The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.  
5.3 Diffraction effects4 usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.  
5.4 The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
5.5 Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Te...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Test Method E2235.  
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 There are several purposes of this test:  
5.1.1 For transmission loss: (a) to characterize the sound insulation characteristics of materials in a less expensive and less time consuming approach than Test Method E90 and ISO 140-3 (“reverberant room methods”),  (b) to allow small samples tested when larger samples are impossible to construct or to transport, (c) to allow a rapid technique that does not require an experienced professional to run.  
5.1.2 For transfer matrix: (a) to determine additional acoustic properties of the material; (b) to allow calculation of acoustic properties of built-up or composite materials by the combination of their individual transfer matrices.  
5.2 There are significant differences between this method and that of the more traditional reverberant room method. Specifically, in this approach the sound impinges on the specimen in a perpendicular direction (“normal incidence”) only, compared to the random incidence of traditional methods. Additionally, revereration room methods specify certain minimum sizes for test specimens which may not be practical for all materials. At present the correlation, if any, between the two methods is not known. Even though this method may not replicate the reverberant room methods for measuring the transmission loss of materials, it can provide comparison data for small specimens, something that cannot be done in the reverberant room method. Normal incidence transmission loss may also be useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example, a closely-fitted machine enclosure or portable electronic device.  
5.3 Transmission loss is not only a property of a material, but is also strongly dependent on boundary conditions inherent in the method and details of the way the material is mounted. This must be considered in the interpretation of the results obtained by this test method.  
5.4 The quantities are measured as a functio...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of a tube, four microphones, and a digital frequency analysis system for the measurement of normal incident transmission loss and other important acoustic properties of materials by determination of the acoustic transfer matrix.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.  
5.2 The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.  
5.3 Diffraction effects5 usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.  
5.4 The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
5.5 Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Te...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Test Method E2235.  
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The sound absorption of a material that covers a flat surface depends not only on the physical properties of the material but also on the way in which the material is mounted over the surface. The mountings specified in these practices are intended to simulate in the laboratory conditions that exist in normal use.  
4.2 Some of the specified mountings require special fixtures or minor deviations from normal practice. These fixtures or deviations are to be used only during laboratory tests and should not be specified for practical installations. They are noted in the specifications for the mountings in question by the phrase “for laboratory testing only.”  
4.3 Test reports may refer to these mountings by type designation instead of providing a detailed description of the mounting used.
SCOPE
1.1 These practices cover test specimen mountings to be used during sound absorption tests performed in accordance with Test Method C423.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The specific airflow resistance of an acoustical material is one of the properties that determine its sound-absorptive and sound-transmitting properties. Measurement of specific airflow resistance is useful during product development, for quality control during manufacture, and for specification purposes.  
5.2 Valid measurements are made only in the region of laminar airflow where, aside from random measurement errors, the airflow resistance (R = P/U) is constant. When the airflow is turbulent, the apparent airflow resistance increases with an increase of volume velocity and the term “airflow resistance” does not apply.  
5.3 The specific airflow resistance measured by this test method may differ from the specific resistance measured by the impedance tube method in Test Method E384 for two reasons. In the presence of sound, the particle velocity inside a porous material is alternating while in this test method, the velocity is constant and in one direction only. Also, the particle velocity inside a porous material is not the same as the linear velocity measured outside the specimen.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.  
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10 000 mks rayls (Pa·s/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.  
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4.1 Table 1 is provided for user to convert into cgs units.    
cgs acoustic ohm  
mks acoustic ohm (Pa·s/m3)  
105  
cgs rayl  
mks rayl (Pa·s/m)  
10    
cgs rayl/cm  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
103  
cgs rayl/in.  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
394  
mks rayl/in.  
mks rayl/m (Pa·s/m2)  
39.4  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The acoustical impedance properties of a sound absorptive material are related to its physical properties, such as airflow resistance, porosity, elasticity, and density. As such, the measurements described in this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.  
5.2 Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients are more useful than random incidence coefficients in certain situations. They are used, for example, to predict the effect of placing material in a small enclosed space, such as inside a machine.  
5.3 Estimates of the random incidence or statistical absorption coefficients for materials can be obtained from normal incidence impedance data. For materials that are locally reacting, that is, without sound propagation inside the material parallel to its surface, statistical absorption coefficients can be estimated from specific normal acoustic impedance values using an expression derived by London (1).5 Locally reacting materials include those with high internal losses parallel with the surface such as porous or fibrous materials of high density or materials that are backed by partitioned cavities such as a honeycomb core. Formulas for estimating random incidence sound absorption properties for both locally and bulk-reacting materials, as well as for multilayer systems with and without air spaces have also been developed (2).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The sound absorption of a material that covers a flat surface depends not only on the physical properties of the material but also on the way in which the material is mounted over the surface. The mountings specified in these practices are intended to simulate in the laboratory conditions that exist in normal use.  
4.2 Some of the specified mountings require special fixtures or minor deviations from normal practice. These fixtures or deviations are to be used only during laboratory tests and should not be specified for practical installations. They are noted in the specifications for the mountings in question by the phrase “for laboratory testing only.”  
4.3 Test reports may refer to these mountings by type designation instead of providing a detailed description of the mounting used.
SCOPE
1.1 These practices cover test specimen mountings to be used during sound absorption tests performed in accordance with Test Method C423.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Several ASTM test methods to evaluate the sound-insulating properties of building elements require the measurement of room sound absorption as part of the procedure. The room sound absorption in these standards appears in an equation in the form 10 log (x/A), where x is a quantity with the same units as A, m2. Room sound absorption is calculated from the decay rate using Eq 1.
The requirements of this standard have been chosen so the uncertainty associated with the measurement of room sound absorption will be acceptably small so long as the logarithm of the absorption is being used in calculations.
Other test methods should specify explicitly that they make use of this test method.
Where measurement requirements in the parent standard differ from those given here, the requirements in the parent standard shall be satisfied.
This test method shall not be used when room sound absorption or decay rate is to be used directly to satisfy some criterion, for example in a room that must not be overly reverberant so speech will be intelligible.
Note 1—The uncertainty of the room sound absorption obtained will usually be too high and additional measurements are necessary.
Any companion standard may specify the use of the procedures in this method for determining whether the decay rates in a room are slow enough to satisfy the requirements of the companion standard. The measured decay rates shall still be used only to calculate the logarithm of the room absorption.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound decay rate in rooms and the calculation of the sound absorption of the room and its contents. The sound absorption so calculated may be used in calculations in sound insulation test methods.
1.2 The method shall be used only in conjunction with other test methods where the logarithm of the sound absorption is used in formulas. It is not sufficiently precise for use in situations where room sound absorption is to be used without taking logarithms.
1.3 For laboratory measurements of the sound absorption of materials and objects, Test Method C423 should be used.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.
This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).
Note 2—The classification, “locally-reacting” includes fibrous materials having high internal losses. Formulas have been developed for converting sound absorption properties from normal incidence to random incidence, for both locally-reacting and bulk-reacing materials (3).
Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.
1.2 Laboratory Accreditation—A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the use of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The acoustical impedance properties of a sound absorptive material are related to its physical properties, such as airflow resistance, porosity, elasticity, and density. As such, the measurements described in this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients are more useful than random incidence coefficients in certain situations. They are used, for example, to predict the effect of placing material in a small enclosed space, such as inside a machine.
Estimates of the random incidence or statistical absorption coefficients for materials can be obtained from normal incidence impedance data. For materials that are locally reacting, that is, without sound propagation inside the material parallel to its surface, statistical absorption coefficients can be estimated from specific normal acoustic impedance values using an expression derived by London (1).5 Locally reacting materials include those with high internal losses parallel with the surface such as porous or fibrous materials of high density or materials that are backed by partitioned cavities such as a honeycomb core. Formulas for estimating random incidence sound absorption properties for both locally and bulk-reacting materials, as well as for multilayer systems with and without air spaces have also been developed (2).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.
This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).
Note 2—The classification, “locally-reacting” includes fibrous materials having high internal losses. Formulas have been developed for converting sound absorption properties from normal incidence to random incidence, for both locally-reacting and bulk-reacing materials (3).
Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.
1.2 Laboratory Accreditation—A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the use of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.
The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.
Diffraction effects usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.
The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Appendix X2 for a procedur...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The specific airflow resistance of an acoustical material is one of the properties that determine its sound-absorptive and sound-transmitting properties. Measurement of specific airflow resistance is useful during product development, for quality control during manufacture, and for specification purposes.
Valid measurements are made only in the region of laminar airflow where, aside from random measurement errors, the airflow resistance (R = P/U) is constant. When the airflow is turbulent, the apparent airflow resistance increases with an increase of volume velocity and the term “airflow resistance” does not apply.
The specific airflow resistance measured by this test method may differ from the specific resistance measured by the impedance tube method in Test Method E384 for two reasons. In the presence of sound, the particle velocity inside a porous material is alternating while in this test method, the velocity is constant and in one direction only. Also, the particle velocity inside a porous material is not the same as the linear velocity measured outside the specimen.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10 000 mks rayls (Pa·s/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4.1 Table 1 is provided for user to convert into cgs units.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The specific airflow resistance of an acoustical material is one of the properties that determine its sound-absorptive and sound-transmitting properties. Measurement of specific airflow resistance is useful during product development, for quality control during manufacture, and for specification purposes.
Valid measurements are made only in the region of laminar airflow where, aside from random measurement errors, the airflow resistance (R = P/U) is constant. When the airflow is turbulent, the apparent airflow resistance increases with an increase of volume velocity and the term “airflow resistance” does not apply.
The specific airflow resistance measured by this test method may differ from the specific resistance measured by the impedance tube method in Test Method E384 for two reasons. In the presence of sound, the particle velocity inside a porous material is alternating while in this test method, the velocity is constant and in one direction only. Also, the particle velocity inside a porous material is not the same as the linear velocity measured outside the specimen.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10 000 mks rayls (Pa·s/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.
The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.
Diffraction effects usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.
The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Appendix X2 for a procedur...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
There are several purposes of this test:
For transmission loss: (a) to characterize the sound insulation characteristics of materials in a less expensive and less time consuming approach than Test Method E 90 and ISO 140-3 (“reverberant room methods”), (b) to allow small samples tested when larger samples are impossible to construct or to transport, (c) to allow a rapid technique that does not require an experienced professional to run.
For transfer matrix: (a) to determine additional acoustic properties of the material; (b) to allow calculation of acoustic properties of built-up or composite materials by the combination of their individual transfer matrices.
There are significant differences between this method and that of the more traditional reverberant room method. Specifically, in this approach the sound impinges on the specimen in a perpendicular direction (“normal incidence”) only, compared to the random incidence of traditional methods. Additionally, revereration room methods specify certain minimum sizes for test specimens which may not be practical for all materials. At present the correlation, if any, between the two methods is not known. Even though this method may not replicate the reverberant room methods for measuring the transmission loss of materials, it can provide comparison data for small specimens, something that cannot be done in the reverberant room method. Normal incidence transmission loss may also be useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example, a closely-fitted machine enclosure or portable electronic device.
Transmission loss is not only a property of a material, but is also strongly dependent on boundary conditions inherent in the method and details of the way the material is mounted. This must be considered in the interpretation of the results obtained by this test method.
The quantities are measured as a function of frequency with a resolution ...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of a tube, four microphones, and a digital frequency analysis system for the measurement of normal incident transmission loss and other important acoustic properties of materials by determination of the acoustic transfer matrix.
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.
The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.
Diffraction effects usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.
The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Appendix X2 for a procedur...
SCOPE
1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2 Field MeasurementsAlthough this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also ). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in .
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see ), asymmetrical screens (see ), and reverberation room qualification (see ).
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.
The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.
Diffraction effects usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.
The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator's control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Appendix X2 for a procedur...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.  
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.
This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).
Note 2—The classification, “locally-reacting” includes fibrous materials having high internal losses. Formulas have been developed for converting sound absorption properties from normal incidence to random incidence, for both locally-reacting and bulk-reacing materials (3).
Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.
1.2 Laboratory Accreditation—A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the use of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.
This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).4  
Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.
1.2 Laboratory Accreditation— A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1 .
1.3  This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the use of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Measurement of the sound absorption of a room is part of the procedure for other acoustical measurements, such as determining the sound power level of a noise source or the sound transmission loss of a partition. It is also used in certain calculations such as predicting the sound pressure level in a room when the sound power level of a noise source in the room is known.
The sound absorption coefficient of a surface is a property of the material composing the surface. It is ideally defined as the fraction of the randomly incident sound power absorbed by the surface, but in this test method it is operationally defined in 4.2. The relationship between the theoretically defined and the operationally measured coefficients is under continuing study.
Diffraction effects5 usually cause the apparent area of a specimen to be greater than its geometrical area, thereby increasing the coefficients measured according to this test method. When the test specimen is highly absorptive, these values may exceed unity.
The coefficients measured by this test method should be used with caution because not only are the areas encountered in practical usage usually larger than the test specimen, but also the sound field is rarely diffuse. In the laboratory, measurements must be made under reproducible conditions, but in practical usage the conditions that determine the effective absorption are often unpredictable. Regardless of the differences and the necessity for judgment, coefficients measured by this test method have been used successfully by architects and consultants in the acoustical design of architectural spaces.  
Field Measurements—When sound absorption measurements are made in a building in which the size and shape of the room are not under the operator’control, the approximation to a diffuse sound field is not likely to be very close. This matter should be considered when assessing the accuracy of measurements made under field conditions. (See Appendix X2 for a procedure...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2 Field Measurements - Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in .
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see ), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2 Field Measurements - Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2 Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method can be applied to measure sound absorption coefficients of absorptive materials at normal incidence, that is, 0°. It also can be used to determine specific impedance and admittance ratios. The properties measured with this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients can be quite useful in certain situations where the material is placed within a small acoustical cavity close to a sound source, for example a closely-fitted machine enclosure.
This test method allows one to compare relative values of sound absorption when it is impractical to procure large samples for accurate random-incidence measurements in a reverberation room. Estimates of the random incidence absorption coefficients can be obtained from normal impedance data for locally-reacting materials (2).4  
Measurements described in this test method can be made with high precision, but these measurements may be misleading. Uncertainties of greater magnitude than those from the measurements may occur from other sources. Care should be exercised to sample nonuniform materials adequately (see 11.1).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, two microphone locations, and a digital frequency analysis system for the determination of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.
1.2 Laboratory AccreditationA procedure for accrediting a laboratory for performing this test method is given in Annex A1.
This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the use of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The sound absorption of a material that covers a flat surface depends not only on the physical properties of the material but also on the way in which the material is mounted over the surface. The mountings specified in these practices are intended to simulate in the laboratory conditions that exist in normal use.
Some of the specified mountings require special fixtures or minor deviations from normal practice. These fixtures or deviations are to be used only during laboratory tests and should not be specified for practical installations. They are noted in the specifications for the mountings in question by the phrase “for laboratory testing only.”
Test reports may refer to these mountings by type designation instead of providing a detailed description of the mounting used.
SCOPE
1.1 These practices cover test specimen mountings to be used during sound absorption tests performed in accordance with Test Method C423.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are provided for information only.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The acoustical impedance properties of a sound absorptive material are related to its physical properties, such as airflow resistance, porosity, elasticity, and density. As such, the measurements described in this test method are useful in basic research and product development of sound absorptive materials.
Normal incidence sound absorption coefficients are more useful than random incidence coefficients in certain situations. They are used, for example, to predict the effect of placing material in a small enclosed space, such as inside a machine.
Estimates of the random incidence or statistical absorption coefficients for materials can be obtained from normal incidence impedance data. For materials that are locally reacting, that is, without sound propagation inside the material parallel to its surface, statistical absorption coefficients can be estimated from specific normal acoustic impedance values using an expression derived by London (1).5 Locally reacting materials include those with high internal losses parallel with the surface such as porous or fibrous materials of high density or materials that are backed by partitioned cavities such as a honeycomb core. Formulas for estimating random incidence sound absorption properties for both locally and bulk-reacting materials, as well as for multilayer systems with and without air spaces have also been developed (2).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound decay rate in rooms and the calculation of the sound absorption of the room and its contents. The sound absorption so calculated may be used in calculations in sound insulation test methods.
1.2 The method shall be used only in conjunction with other test methods where the logarithm of the sound absorption is used in formulas. It is not sufficiently precise for use in situations where room sound absorption is to be used without taking logarithms.
1.3 For laboratory measurements of the sound absorption of materials and objects, Test Method C 423 should be used.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Several ASTM test methods to evaluate the sound-insulating properties of building elements require the measurement of room sound absorption as part of the procedure. The room sound absorption in these standards appears in an equation in the form 10 log (x/A), where x is a quantity with the same units as A, m2. Room sound absorption is calculated from the decay rate using Eq 1.
The requirements of this standard have been chosen so the uncertainty associated with the measurement of room sound absorption will be acceptably small so long as the logarithm of the absorption is being used in calculations.
Other test methods should specify explicitly that they make use of this test method.
Where measurement requirements in the parent standard differ from those given here, the requirements in the parent standard shall be satisfied.
This test method shall not be used when room sound absorption or decay rate is to be used directly to satisfy some criterion, for example in a room that must not be overly reverberant so speech will be intelligible.
Note 1—The uncertainty of the room sound absorption obtained will usually be too high and additional measurements are necessary.
Any companion standard may specify the use of the procedures in this method for determining whether the decay rates in a room are slow enough to satisfy the requirements of the companion standard. The measured decay rates shall still be used only to calculate the logarithm of the room absorption.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound decay rate in rooms and the calculation of the sound absorption of the room and its contents. The sound absorption so calculated may be used in calculations in sound insulation test methods.
1.2 The method shall be used only in conjunction with other test methods where the logarithm of the sound absorption is used in formulas. It is not sufficiently precise for use in situations where room sound absorption is to be used without taking logarithms.
1.3 For laboratory measurements of the sound absorption of materials and objects, Test Method C 423 should be used.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The specific airflow resistance of an acoustical material is one of the properties that determine its sound-absorptive and sound-transmitting properties. Measurement of specific airflow resistance is useful during product development, for quality control during manufacture, and for specification purposes.
Valid measurements are made only in the region of laminar airflow where, aside from random measurement errors, the airflow resistance (R = P/U) is constant. When the airflow is turbulent, the apparent airflow resistance increases with an increase of volume velocity and the term “airflow resistance” does not apply.
The specific airflow resistance measured by this test method may differ from the specific resistance measured by the impedance tube method in Test Method C 384 for two reasons. In the presence of sound, the particle velocity inside a porous material is alternating while in this test method, the velocity is constant and in one direction only. Also, the particle velocity inside a porous material is not the same as the linear velocity measured outside the specimen.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10 000 mks rayls (Pas/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound decay rate in rooms and the calculation of the sound absorption of the room and its contents. The sound absorption so calculated may be used in calculations in sound insulation test methods.
1.2 The method shall be used only in conjunction with other test methods where the logarithm of the sound absorption is used in formulas. It is not sufficiently precise for use in situations where room sound absorption is to be used without taking logarithms.
1.3 For laboratory measurements of the sound absorption of materials and objects, Test Method C 423 should be used.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room by measuring decay rate. Procedures for measuring the absorption of a room, the absorption of an object, such as an office screen, and the sound absorption coefficients of a specimen of sound absorptive material, such as acoustical ceiling tile, are described.
1.2Field Measurements—Although this test method primarily covers laboratory measurements, the test method described in 4.1 can be used for making field measurements of the absorption of rooms (see also 5.5). A non-standard method to measure the absorption of rooms in the field is described in Appendix X2.
1.3 This test method includes information on laboratory accreditation (see Annex A1), asymmetrical screens (see Annex A2), and reverberation room qualification (see Annex A3).
1.4  This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 These practices cover test specimen mountings to be used during sound absorption tests performed in accordance with Test Method C423.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are provided for information only.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube, alternatively called a standing wave apparatus, for the measurement of impedance ratios and the normal incidence sound absorption coefficients of acoustical materials.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of an impedance tube and the use of a two-microphone method and a digital frequency analysis system for the measurement of normal incidence sound absorption coefficients and normal specific acoustic impedance ratios of materials.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of airflow resistance and the related measurements of specific airflow resistance and airflow resistivity of porous materials that can be used for the absorption and attenuation of sound. Materials cover a range from thick boards or blankets to thin mats, fabrics, papers, and screens. When the material is anisotropic, provision is made for measurements along different axes of the specimen.  
1.2 This test method is designed for the measurement of values of specific airflow resistance ranging from 100 to 10000 mks rayls (Pa[dot]s/m) with linear airflow velocities ranging from 0.5 to 50 mm/s and pressure differences across the specimen ranging from 0.1 to 250 Pa. The upper limit of this range of linear airflow velocities is a point at which the airflow through most porous materials is in partial or complete transition from laminar to turbulent flow.  
1.3 A procedure for accrediting a laboratory for the purposes of this test method is given in Annex A1.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.