Enhancement of Damping Characteristics through Hybridization: Investigating the Synergistic Effects of Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Additive Metals and Silicone Polymers

Abstract

Using triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) metal parts with added silicone polymer can lead to the development of hybrid materials with enhanced damping characteristics. This study aims to develop composite structures by hybridizing additively manufactured TPMS metal parts with added silicone polymers for vibration applications. Central to this investigation is the quest to ascertain the most efficacious damping mechanism. In this context, the finite element method (FEM)‐based model of the primitive TPMS structure, consisting of cobalt–chrome (CoCr) and the concomitant hybrid structure integrated with silicone polymer, is meticulously developed. The damping characteristics of the FEM‐based models are obtained by modal analysis. The models are also validated using experimental modal tests. The findings show a significant improvement in damping characteristics thanks to the hybrid TPMS structure. Specifically, the damping ratios derived from the hybrid TPMS structure exhibit a sixfold increase in time‐domain damping and up to a 30‐fold increase in frequency‐based analysis across two distinct damping calculation methodologies. Overall, this study highlights the potential of additively fabricated primitive TPMS metal parts with added silicone polymer as a promising structure for improving damping properties in various engineering applications.