Effect of Moisture Contents and Density of Paulownia tomentosa on Acoustical Properties

함수율과 밀도가 참오동나무재의 음향 특성에 미치는 영향

Paulownia wood has been used as sound board for Korean traditional musical instruments such as Keomungo(Korean lute), Kayagum(twelve-stringed Korean harp) and Changgu(hour-glass shaped drum), etc. The acoustic properties of wood affected not only by dimensions but also by density and stiffness of wood. Due to inhomogeneity and hygroscopicity of wood. the acoustic properties of wood are inconsistent. To clarify the effect of moisture content and air dry density on acoustic properties, longitudinal vibration experiment was accomplished in 3 moisture content levels of 9.6, 11.1 and 12.5% and in 3 air dry density levels of 0.22, 0.25 and 0.28g/$cm^3$. The results were as follows: As the moisture content increased, the fundamental frequency. specific dynamic Young's modulus and sound velocity decreased, but the internal friction increased so that loss of energy increased. The values in damping of sound radiation were rapidly decreased at 12.5%. It meant that the damping of internal friction was larger than damping of sound radiation at high moisture content. As the air dry density increased, the fundamental frequency, specific dynamic Young's modulus and sound velocity increased, but the internal friction and damping of sound radiation decreased so that loss of energy decreased. And acoustic converting efficiency was hardly influenced by increasing air drying density.