The Effects of Dynamic Strain Amplitude and Static Prestrain on the Properties of Viscoelastic Materials

The dynamic material properties of viscoelastic materials are known to be sensitive to a variety of environmental factors. A great deal of attention has been given to characterization of the effects of temperature and frequency. However, for thorough design of some noise control schemes, such as isolation systems and tuned damper devices, it is often necessary to characterize the properties of viscoelastic materials as a function of dynamic strain amplitude and static prestrain, as well as temperature and frequency. Included is a description of test techniques utilized to characterize these properties, presentation of sample properties, and discussion of the applicability of the data to the design of noise control systems.