The measurement of non-linear damping in metal-matrix composites

This thesis is concerned with the measurement of non-linear (i.e. strain amplitude dependent) intrinsic material damping in continuous fiber reinforced metalmatrix composites. The particular MMC studied is a 4-ply, [O︢]S, (O = 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 degree), P55Gr/Al-6061 composite. A popular method for measuring damping is the free-decay of flexural vibrations of a cantilevered beam. The strain field in a cantilevered beam is inhomogeneous. For …