Acoustic insulation in vehicles
A high performance Heavy Mass Layer must ensure good acoustic and damping performance in different vehicles. With the ever-growing awareness to make the mobility industry more environmentally friendly, another feature joins this set of requirements: sustainability. This was how the MAC020 Heavy Mass Layer came to be.
This solution combines cork, a 100 % natural material, with thermoplastics, resulting in a fully recyclable solution. Cork’s unique characteristics, such as its lightness and durability, combined with its capacity for thermal and sound insulation, contribute to the creation of a solution that guarantees greater comfort and safety to passengers.
One of the main reasons for choosing an Heavy Mass Layer with cork is its ability to improve the acoustic and damping performance of different vehicles. Cork's closed, air-filled cellular structure allows inherent damping of structural noise transmission, thus improving the material’s sound and damping performance under use.
In addition to the acoustic benefits, cork also has an excellent thermal resistance. The air in this raw material’s cellular structure acts as a natural insulator, ensuring the material’s low thermal conductivity.
When compared to other Heavy Mass Layer materials, such as bituminous materials, cork has a higher resistance to high temperatures.
Unlike most materials used as Heavy Mass Layer, which add a considerable weight to a vehicle’s structure, a cork Heavy Mass Layer is a much lighter alternative that does not compromise the material’s performance and technical performance. More than 50 % of cork’s volume is air, which is why this material is lighter than other materials normally used in this application.
Lighter materials make it possible to reduce vehicles’ weight without reducing their size, load capacity and safety; they can also reduce fuel consumption and the amount of gases released into the atmosphere.
Cork is a 100% natural, reusable and recyclable raw material. Studies show that for every ton of cork produced, the cork oak forest sequesters up to 73 tons of CO2.
Produced from the bark of the cork oak tree without any trees being felled during the process, cork can be used for a variety of highly technological products. When used in the development of a product, all the environmental advantages associated with cork are also incorporated into that product, thus contributing to the reduction of the latter’s environmental impact.
Choosing a cork Heavy Mass Layer is choosing high performance in the long term. Cork is one of the most durable materials currently known, maintaining its acoustic, thermal and damping insulation characteristics over time.
In addition, with the ever-growing imposition of additional sustainability requirements on the mobility industry, by choosing sustainable materials we are on the right track to comply with possible future environmental regulations and criteria that may be implemented.
The MAC020 Heavy Mass Layer combines high performance with sustainability. It’s an effective solution for damping and sound insulation that can be used in various means of transportation.
Developed as a hybrid product, the MAC020 can be used in different vehicle cabins, thus providing soundproofing and damping properties to the system, as well as being used as a core in multi-layer panels
Start contributing to a more sustainable sector now with the new MAC020 Heavy Mass Layer!
CP’s entire fleet of Alfa Pendular trains is currently being remodeled, with the integration of cork solutions from Amorim Cork Composites specifically developed for the railway industry.
Whether on land, in the air or water, cork’s properties, combined with Amorim Cork Composites' expertise, can respond to the great mobility challenges of the future.
Cork was selected for the new Mobilize vehicles because it is a natural and sustainable raw material.