A revolutionary silk fabric, developed by MIT researchers and other institutions, has been created to suppress noise and provide sound insulation for interior spaces. The fabric, which is only slightly thicker than a human hair, contains a special fiber that vibrates when voltage is applied to it. Researchers used these vibrations to suppress sound in two different ways.

In one method, the vibrating fabric generates sound waves that interfere with unwanted noise, canceling it out similar to noise-canceling headphones. This approach is effective in small spaces like ears but not in larger enclosures like rooms or airplanes. The second technique involves holding the fabric still to suppress vibrations that are essential for sound transmission. This prevents noise from going through the fabric and further reduces the volume, allowing for noise reduction in larger spaces such as rooms or cars.

Using common materials like silk, canvas, and muslin, researchers created noise-suppressing fabrics that could be implemented in real-world spaces. For example, these fabrics could be used to make dividers in open workspaces or thin fabric walls that block the passage of sound. This new mechanism offers a way to create quiet spaces with a thin sheet of fabric, which is much easier than creating thick walls to block out noise.

An article about the research was recently published in Advanced Materials by Yoel Fink, a professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at MIT. Fink is the principal investigator of the Electronics Research Laboratory and the lead author of the article on the fabric. This innovative fabric technology has the potential to revolutionize sound insulation in various environments.