Resonance in Polyurea-Based Multilayer Structures Subjected to Laser-Generated Stress Waves

We report resonance associated with polyurea layers sandwiched between identical acrylic and polycarbonate plates when subjected to laser-generated stress waves of several nanoseconds in duration. Transmitted stress wave amplitudes almost 16 times the incident stress wave amplitudes are observed. An elastodynamics simulation identified the thickness of the polyurea layer as the key parameter controlling the amplitude of the transmitted stress wave. This resonance effect was found absent when the polyurea was sandwiched between the steel and aluminum plates of similar thickness. However, for these samples, a dramatic reduction in the amplitudes of the transmitted stress waves was recorded. A finite element analysis of the wave propagation through the sandwiched polyurea layer in these samples tied the large amplitude reduction to the large acoustic impedance mismatch and the viscoelastic dissipation within the polyurea layer.