DAMPING CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITE-MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES

This paper presents an overview of experimental and analytical approaches that have been used to characterize damping properties of composite materials and structures, with emphasis on polymer composites. A discussion of damping mechanisms operating in composites is followed by a review of several experimental methods for measuring damping. A summary of analytical models for predicting damping at both the micromechanical and macromechanical levels is presented and comments on ways of improving and optimizing damping in composites are offered.