Damping behaviour of bio-inspired natural fibre composites

Abstract (2019)

Authors

Wilhelm Woigk ETH Zürich
K. Masania ETH Zürich
Silvan Gantenbein ETH Zürich
Erik Poloni ETH Zürich
André R. Studart ETH Zürich
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Published Date

2019

Language

English

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Abstract

Structural materials such as metals and fibre-reinforced plastics are stiff engineering materials used in many industrial fields. However, their high stiffness leads usually to the inability to dissipate energy via vibration damping. Contrarily, compliant materials such as rubbers and soft polymers exhibit an excellent damping behaviour, but lack in stiffness. Natural composites, such as wood, bone and seashells possess both high stiffness and high damping and thus combine properties that are generally mutually exclusive. In this study, the design principles of two biological composites, i.e. nacre and wood, were studied to design composites out of engineering materials which display a damping behaviour like the natural systems and are producible on a larger scale. The dynamic properties of nacre-inspired epoxy and flax fibre-reinforced composites were investigated and compared to structural engineering materials and to the biological materials served for the inspiration.