A Combined Honeycomb and Solid Viscoelastic Material for Structural Damping Applications (2001-2002)

The goal of the research described in this paper is to investigate the feasibility of a new combined polymer composite damping system, which consists of a polymer honeycomb material and a viscoelastic solid material. This new combined viscoelastic system, which is intended primarily for energy dissipation and vibration control, serves as an interface layer within lightweight composite panels subjected to in-plane shear. The basic concept and mechanical properties of the combination of polymer honeycomb and solid viscoelastic materials were experimentally investigated under different strain and frequencies inputs. Numerical models in which the effect of temperature and frequency are taken into account were then established. Analytical results given by a simplified numerical model agreed well with experimental results. This study also led to useful information about the optimum design of the combined damping system.