A Combined Theoretical/Experimental Approach to the Dynamic Characterization of Viscoelastic Materials

This research combines theoretical and experimental approaches to the dynamic mechanical characterization of viscoelastic materials. A detailed derivation is presented for the dynamic response of a typical viscoelastic rod sample. Particular attention is given to the effect of inertia on experimental results for storage modulus and loss factor. The limitations of the testing equipment are examined in comparison to the theoretical formulation.