NOVEL ACOUSTIC DAMPING MATERIALS

COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH RESIN, METAL AND CERAMIC MATRICES ARE ASSUMING A LEADING ROLE IN AEROSPACE, AIRCRAFT, TRANSPORTATION AND MARINE STRUCTURAL DESIGN. ALTHOUGH POSSESSING HIGH STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS TO WEIGHT RATIOS, THEY DO NOT EXHIBIT DAMPING AT A LEVEL REQUIRED FOR MANY OF THESE APPLICATIONS. THE STATE-OF-THE-ART HIGH DAMPING METALLIC SYSTEMS, ON THE OTHER HAND, THOUGH EXHIBITING EXTRODINARY DAMPING, DO NOT HAVE THE MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE REQUIRED FOR HIGHLY STRESSED COMPONENTS. THE PROPOSED R&D WILL EXAMINE WAYS OF MARRYING THESE TWO CLASSES OF MATERIALS TO PRODUCE A HYBRID WHICH HAS GOOD DAMPING AS WELL AS THE STIFFNESS AND STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES. THE PROGRAM SEEKS TO DEVELOP DESIGN AND PROPERTY INFORMATION WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE METHODOLOGY FOR PRODUCING DAMPED COMPOSITES WITH BOTH RESIN AS WELL AS METALLIC MATRICES.