Abstract

Pumice is produced when a volcanic eruption violently ejects an extremely heated, highly pressurized rock. Pumice's porous structure results from simultaneous fast cooling and depressurization. In countries with high volcanic activity, pumice stone is a low-cost natural raw material with several valuable qualities. It is a lightweight, non-toxic, eco-friendly, durable, and heat-resistant material. Among other applications, pumice has been used as an aggregate to produce lightweight concrete or cementitious material to produce blended cement or geopolymer. Since pumice stone is highly porous, it could be used as a naturally occurring multiscale porous sound-absorbing material. This study uses theoretical and experimental approaches to investigate the sound absorption characteristics of a granular pumice sample. The tests were conducted on crushed pumice stones in granular form. The study reveals the potential of pumice stones as a sound-absorbing building material.