Theoretical-Experimental Method for Evaluating the Elastic and Damping Characteristics of Soft Materials Based on Studying the Resonance Flexural Vibrations of Test Specimens

A hardware and software system for studying the damping and elastic properties of soft materials in a low-frequency range of deformation up to 100 Hz, which most fully corresponds to the range of dynamic actions in actual service conditions of structures, is proposed. A novel identification method for evaluating the elastic and damping properties of soft materials in shear is developed. It employs the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the resonance flexural vibrations of three-layer test specimens with a soft inner layer. Identification of the elastic shear properties is based on a comparison of calculated and experimental frequencies of resonance vibrations of test specimens. To evaluate the shear damping properties of soft materials, the condition of minimum of an objective function containing experimental and calculated amplitudes of vibrations of the free end of a test specimen is used. The possibility of evaluating the properties mentioned from the experimental and calculated internal damping parameters of test specimens, which significantly reduces the laboriousness of the problem considered, is shown. Numerical calculations are carried out for identifying the elastic and damping characteristics of a technical rubber in shear based on an analysis of resonance flexural vibrations of seven test specimens with outer layers made of a D16AT aluminum alloy.