Dynamic characterization of polymeric vibration dampers

Polymeric dampers are used in many fields for vibration isolation. These devices are based upon a low stiffness and high damping connection between a vibrating support and the item to be fastened. Whenever the connection is assured by a polymeric element, it is mandatory to be aware that stiffness and damping change with the excitation frequency. The characterization of stiffness and damping of the polymeric element in terms of storage modulus and loss modulus is commonly carried out at low frequency by means of a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), nonetheless this approach cannot be applied at higher frequency. In the present study, a novel experimental approach for estimating the frequency dependent storage modulus and loss modulus in a polymeric vibration damper is presented. The proposed method is based on a direct measurement of the energy loss in hysteretic cycles and it is suitable for simple implementation using common instruments for vibration measurement.