MIT Develops Revolutionary Sound-Suppressing Silk for Quieter Environments

Researchers at MIT have engineered a silk fabric with piezoelectric fibers that can effectively reduce noise pollution in various settings, promising quieter living and working spaces.

The new silk fabric utilizes vibrations to cancel out ambient noise, similar to noise-canceling headphones but applicable to larger areas like rooms or vehicles.
By manipulating the fabric to remain still, it prevents sound transmission and reflects noise, offering a dual approach to sound suppression.
The fabric's effectiveness in noise reduction has been demonstrated to decrease sound volumes up to 65 decibels and suppress sound transmission by up to 75%.
This innovation uses common materials such as silk, canvas, and muslin, making it a practical solution for real-world applications.
Future research will focus on enhancing the fabric's capabilities to block multiple sound frequencies and improve its structural design for better performance.