Experimental study of the attenuation properties of metal-viscoelastic bi-layered materials

Abstract

Phononic crystals (PCs) are multi-layered materials with functional elastic wave band gaps where propagation of vibration within these band gaps is restricted. PCs have vibration attenuation properties dependent on their periodic structure and material constituent. In this study, the band gap and vibration attenuation of a one-dimensional PC subjected to longitudinal vibration were evaluated experimentally. Two bi-layered specimens composed of Aluminum and a Silicone Rubber (Elite double 8) were manufactured and tested. The specimens were subjected to vibration from an electrodynamic shaker to obtain pseudo-transfer functions.