Study on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Viscoelastic Materials Based on Asymmetrical Sandwich Beams

Abstract

A modified estimation method for the dynamic mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials via asymmetrical sandwich specimens is presented. In contrast to the traditional vibrating cantilever beam test method (VCBTM), the proposed method allows asymmetrical base beams in sandwich specimens. Based on the complex stiffness method, complex parameters are introduced for general sandwich configurations. Calculation formulas for loss factor and shear modulus of the core material are presented. The effectiveness of this approach is validated numerically and experimentally by analysis of one symmetrical sandwich beam specimen and two specimens with asymmetrical thicknesses and materials. It is shown that dynamic mechanical parameters of the core material can be obtained regardless of sandwiches’ symmetry. The proposed method breaks the symmetrical criteria for sandwich specimens and may provide a wider application to measure viscoelastic materials’ dynamic properties.