Vibration damping characterization of linseed oil-based elastomers for its effectiveness to attenuate structural vibration

Vibration damping properties of elastomers prepared from linseed oil were characterized by dynamic mechanical analyzer in a temperature range of -50 to 100 degrees C and frequency range of 5 Hz to 1 kHz. The maximum damping loss factor, (tan delta)(max) varies from 0.78 to 1.32, the room temperature (25 degrees C) loss factor, (tan delta)(n) in the range of 0.56-1.08 and the temperature range (Delta T) for effective damping (tan delta >= 0.3) varies from 63 degrees C to 74.4 degrees C in different elastomers. The elastomers behave as a good vibration damper both in lower and higher frequency range. Thus these elastomers exhibit good damping behavior in a wide range of temperature and frequency, a primary requirement for practical damping applications. A modal constrained layer damping system constructed utilizing these elastomers exhibits its potentiality to attenuate structural vibrations with respect to mild steel bare plate resonator under laboratory fabricated testing methodology. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3611-3623, 2013