Source: Eastman

Eastman and DW Designs showcase audio clarity of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester and Eastman Treva™ engineering bioplastics

KINGSPORT, Tenn., Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Global specialty plastics provider Eastman collaborated with DW Designs to mold and test beryllium models in ear monitor housings using a variety of materials. Eastman’s John Quigley and DW Designs’ Dan Wiggins presented their findings at the annual Rocky Mountain International Audio Fest (CanJam) held in Denver October 5-7, 2018.

“Eastman wished to understand how our polymers might improve acoustic performance in audio applications,” said Quigley, senior application development engineer for Eastman. “We worked with DW Designs to test housings molded in an incumbent polycarbonate material, as well as Eastman’s copolyester and cellulosic resins.”

Eastman and DW Designs tested each of the polymers for both cumulative spectral decay (CSD) and total harmonic distortion (THD). Data indicated the copolyester outperformed the polycarbonate, while the cellulosic offered superior results, both in terms of clean response and lower distortion. Specifically, the polycarbonate had the most peaks for resonance whereas cellulosic had the lowest overall level of measured THD.

“Eastman polymers have shown, through my own independent testing and experimentation, to provide measurable and audible improvements in many products that utilize plastics,” said Wiggins, DW Designs consultant. “Easy to mold, durable, incredibly high internal energy dissipation, and affordability make products like Tritan and Treva a no-brainer for many consumer audio products. They are now my ‘go-to’ recommendation for molded acoustic enclosures.”

Data demonstrated that Eastman Tritan copolyester and Treva cellulosic both have superior damping characteristics relative to polycarbonate. Furthermore, expert listener feedback demonstrated that consumers were able to hear fine details better and preferred the acoustic performance of Tritan and Treva.