Sound Attenuation Building Material And System

Abstract

A shear panel building material that includes a first facing membrane, a core matrix disposed on a face of the first facing membrane, and a semi-rigid or rigid material attached to the core matrix. The core matrix can include microspheres having a size of about 200 microns to about 800 microns, sodium silicate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. In one aspect, the shear panel is substantially free from glue and cement.

1 . A shear panel building material comprising:
 a first facing membrane;   a second facing membrane;   a rigid material situated between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane, said rigid material being self-supporting; and   a core matrix disposed between said first and second facing membranes, said core matrix including:
 from about 25 wt % to about 60 wt % of microparticles based on wet formulation, 
 from about 20 wt % to about 36 wt % sodium silicate, and 
 from about 2 wt % to about 6 wt % of a vinyl acetate, 
   wherein the rigid material is held in place with respect to the first and second facing membranes by the core matrix.   
   
   
       2 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is substantially the same height and length of the first facing membrane. 
   
   
       3 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is a mesh. 
   
   
       4 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is a continuous sheet. 
   
   
       5 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 4 , wherein the continuous sheet has a thickness of about 2 to about 3 lbs/sq. yd. 
   
   
       6 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the vinyl acetate includes vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer. 
   
   
       7 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the microparticles are present in an amount from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of the wet mixture. 
   
   
       8 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the microparticles have a size of from about 200 to about 800 microns. 
   
   
       9 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is selected from the group consisting of plastics, metals, metal alloys, fiberglass, Kevlar, nylon, graphite/composites, woven fabric, fiber sheets, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       10 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is quilted aluminum sheet. 
   
   
       11 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of rigid materials situated between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane. 
   
   
       12 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 1 , wherein the rigid material is configured to improve the shear panel building material's ability to counter effects of lateral loads by greater than about 10%. 
   
   
       13 . A method of forming a shear panel, comprising:
 combining microparticles, sodium silicate, and vinyl acetate, to form a mixture;   disposing a first part of the mixture between a first facing sheet and a rigid continuous material;   disposing a second part of the mixture between a second facing sheet and the rigid continuous material;   heat curing the mixture to form a core matrix.   
   
   
       14 . A method as in  claim 13 , wherein the rigid continuous material is a quilted sheet. 
   
   
       15 . A method as in  claim 13 , further comprising disposing rigid or semi-rigid discrete particles in the mixture prior to disposing the mixture between the facing membranes and the rigid continuous material. 
   
   
       16 . A shear panel building material, comprising:
 a first facing membrane;   a core matrix disposed on one face of the first facing membrane and in physical contact with one side of the first facing membrane, said core matrix including:
 microspheres having a size of about 200 microns to about 800 microns, sodium silicate, and ethylene vinyl acetate; and 
   a semi-rigid or rigid material attached to the core matrix, wherein the shear panel is substantially free from glue and cement.   
   
   
       17 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 16 , wherein the semi-rigid or rigid material is a plurality of fibers or particles dispersed in the core matrix. 
   
   
       18 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 16 , wherein the semi-rigid or rigid material is semi-rigid. 
   
   
       19 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 16 , wherein the semi-rigid or rigid material is rigid material and functions as a second and opposing facing membrane of the shear panel. 
   
   
       20 . A shear panel building material as in  claim 16 , further comprising a second facing membrane, wherein the first and the second facing membranes are paper-based materials, wherein the rigid material is a continuous sheet of quilted aluminum arranged substantially parallel to the first and second facing membranes, and wherein the core matrix consists of, based on wet formulation ratios:
 4-6 parts cenospheres,   6-8 parts sodium silicate solution (40-60 wt % in water),   0.6-1 parts ethylene vinyl acetate emulsion (40 wt %, including polyethylene oxide), and   optionally foaming agent.