High vibration damping in in situ In–Zn composites

Abstract

Indium–zinc in situ composites were fabricated and their viscoelastic properties studied over 8.5 decades of frequency. Material with 5% indium by weight was found to have a stiffness damping product (the figure of merit for damping layers) of 1.9 GPa at 10 Hz; 3 times better than the peak of polymer damping layers and over a wider frequency range. Material with 15% indium had a stiffness damping product of 1.8 GPa. The indium segregated in a platelet morphology, particularly favorable for attaining high damping from a small concentration, as predicted by viscoelastic composite theory.