New hybrid polymer nanocomposites for passive vibration damping by incorporation of carbon nanotubes and lead zirconate titanate particles

• A novel hybrid nanocomposite for vibration damping is proposed.
• Piezoelectric and electrical conductive fillers are introduced into the polymer matrix.
• A sandwich configuration is used to highlight transduction–dissipation by the fillers.
• Local dissipation by carbon nanotubes is demonstrated.
• Improvement of the polymer damping is shown.

A new hybrid nanocomposite for vibration damping has been elaborated. Ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate particles and carbon nanotubes are dispersed simultaneously in an engineering semi-crystalline thermoplastic matrix by an extrusion processing. Ferroelectric particles have been made piezoelectric once incorporated into the polymer matrix through a poling step. The dynamic response of nanocomposites has been characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis and vibration test. The shear mechanical modulus exhibits an increase of the conservative and dissipative components after the poling step of nanocomposites. By vibration test, the first bending mode of the frequency response function has been followed and a significant damping inherent to poling is also recorded. These evolutions are heightened by the use of two constrained elastic layers. For the first time, a synergy between poled piezoelectric particles responsible for the transduction phenomena and conductive particles allowing a local dissipation of electric charges has been revealed by two complementary techniques for the improvement of the polymer damping.