Viscoelastic polymers can be used as damping materials to control unexpected vibration and noise through energy dissipation. To investigate the effect of an inorganic filler on damping property, a series of inorganic particles, Ferriferous oxide(Fe₃O₄), Graphene/Fe₃O₄(GF), and Fe₃O₄ of demagnetization(α-Fe₂O₃) were incorporated into poly(butyl-methacrylate) (PBMA). The effects of the dispersion of particles, as well as the interaction between particles and the PBMA matrix on the damping property of composites, were systematically studied. Results revealed that the addition of three types of particles can effectively improve the damping properties and broaden the effective damping temperature range. Dispersion of α-Fe₂O₃ in the PBMA matrix is better than that of Fe₃O₄. As a result, the damping peak can be increased more. The interaction between GF and the PBMA matrix is stronger than that between Fe₃O₄ and the PBMA. The damping peak of the composites can be suppressed by GF, which is opposite to Fe₃O₄ and α-Fe₂O₃. In addition, glass transition temperature (Tg) of all composites in the study shifted to low temperatures.
Keywords: damping property; glass transition temperature; inorganic particles; poly(butyl-methacrylate).