designing and testing my own bass traps

I'm a lay acoustics hobbyist and would love to chime in.  

First I think it's funny that you've come to Ethan's forum as a prospective competitor but I've heard that such collaboration can help the market rise overall, so welcome.  I too would like to sell some products one day.  

If I understand correctly the company you work for makes these blankets and they want to make bass traps that use these blankets plus conventional rigid insulation, right?

First of all that concept is deviating from a proven standard.  That could be good or bad depending on your tests.  

Let me address your points and maybe a way forward will be illuminated.  

1.  Will the mass loaded blanket enclosure with insulation inside, possibly function as a bass trap? Is this a feasible idea?

Possibly.  Probably even considering you will already have a foundational bass trap but maybe not - who knows.  

2.  Can I test the functionality of said bass traps in our own testing facility and use those results in conjunction with our test report from Riverbank Acoustic Laboratories?

Yes.  I don't know about Riverbank but the more the merrier.  

3.  What software/hardware am I going to need to conduct a test that will yield creditable results?

Room EQ Wizard or Fuzz Measure.  Idk if they're "science-y" enough for some but they'll help you see what's going on.  

4.  What would the ideal room size be to conduct these tests?

Probably as many room sizes as possible.  Different rooms have different resonant frequencies therefore testing in different rooms will help you determine effectiveness of the panels over a range of frequencies given a specific percentage of coverage and placement.  I.e. 20% surface area coverage in X configuration yields Y result vs Z alternative.  

5.  Is it desirable for bass traps to be less absorptive in higher frequencies and is this something I should consider in my design?

Sometimes.  Depends how much high frequency absorption you need for a given space.  A small room with extreme coverage might benefit from some semi-reflective surfaces while a larger room with less coverage might not.  It should be an option.

6.  We also sell mass loaded vinyl. Is this a material I should consider incorporating into our design? What typically are mass loaded vinyl's acoustic properties?

AFAIK mass-loaded vinyl is a reflective sound barrier.  It's not an absorber - it's more of an isolator.  I would assume there is no place for that in the design of bass trapping in the way that I know it.  It could have use for something like a membrane absorber but, given it's relative cost, I'd assume regular wood is the better choice.  

7.  What is the ideal insulation for bass trapping?

The ideal material for bass trapping depends on thickness.  A thinner panel will be better of more dense but a thicker panel (>8") will benefit from less gas-flow-resistant material.  Essentially you get to pick between OC705 and R19.  

I'm with you on the confusing part.  It's like learning music theory all over again but with the addition of math and physics that I don't understand.  I have a few rules of thumb I follow but I'm starting to wonder what's beyond them.  Sounds like you are too.  Long story short - if you want to make modified panels then just make a bunch of standard ones then make variations and compare.  That's science.  

Apache!

-m