Mass Loaded Vinyl: The Science of Sound Suppression
The many various processes carried out by the oil and gas industries, along with others, produce a lot of noise. Employees working in these industries are required by law to wear personal protective equipment that protects their hearing. Even so, some areas can be so loud that such equipment simply isn't enough. Machinery and equipment that produce unacceptable levels of noise must by law be fitted with sound-dampening systems to ensure the safety of employees.
Mass loaded vinyl (MLV) offers a reliable and ultra-effective way to provide acoustic transmission loss at a superlative level. As a flexible barrier of high density, MLV is especially useful in insulation systems as an acoustic pipe wrapping and for metal jacketing. It can be installed in a wide variety of areas from inside cavities and lightweight walls or ceilings to around cryogenic and LNG pipeline systems.
MLV is crafted using naturally-occurring minerals and boasts an extremely high density. This elevated mass, along with the limpness and flexibility of the material, act in perfect harmony to dramatically reduce the transmission of sound.
Working in strict accordance to ISO 15665, BS Stainless load our superior MLV with barium sulphate, an inorganic material renowned for its high density. The mass of the finished product is thus greatly increased without substantial corresponding increases in the MLV's overall thickness. Sound waves struggle to pass through this super-dense barrier. Though it imbues the MLV with significant mass, barium sulphate does not affect flexibility and so the finished material is easy and convenient to install.
MLV incorporates PVC, a material that is non-toxic and is 100% recyclable. It also makes the MLV strong and durable, resistant to damage from an array of chemicals from greases and mineral oils to acids and alkalies.
As always here at BS Stainless, we strive to offer our customers the biggest range of options. Our MLV can be supplied in a comprehensive selection of sizes and weights from 10kg/m² all the way down to a tiny 2kg/m². We can provide MLV with a bonded foil face moisture barrier or, for difficult areas like pipe elbows and vlave boxes, with a strong self-adhesive backing layer.
There are also a number of enhanced options available (such as glass reinforcement, increased density and specific decibel sound reduction) for special applications. We can even bond MLV seamlessly to stainless steel, aluminium and some other metals for use as sound barrier jacketing with our unique VibroMet® and SoundMet® solutions.
All of the details you need can be found on the BS Stainless website or by getting in touch with our expert technical team so please don't hesitate to give us a call!