Damping properties of fly ash/epoxy composites

An inexpensive fly ash (FA), which is from a waste product, was employed to prepare fly ash/epoxy composites. The purpose of this study is to characterize the contributions of matrix viscoelasticity, hollow structure characteristic (porosity), and filler/matrix interface friction to the high vibration damping capacity of such composites. The damping properties of the composites were investigated in the temperature range of −40 to 150°C and in the frequency range of 10 to 800 Hz by using a tension-compression mode. The results indicate that the peak value of damping loss factor (tanδ) for the fly ash/epoxy composites can reach 0.70-0.90 in test specification, and the attenuation of damping loss factor is inconspicuous with increasing frequency. In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of the fly ash as well as its distribution in the matrix, which will help to analyze the effect of fly ash on the damping properties of the fly ash/epoxy composites.