Documentation of damping capacity of metallic, ceramic and metal-matrix composite materials

High-damping materials allow undesirable mechanical vibration and wave propagation to be passively suppressed. This proves valuable in the control of noise and the enhancement of vehicle and instrument stability. Accordingly, metallurgists are continually working toward the development of high-damping metals (hidamets) and high-damping metal-matrix composites (MMCs). MMCs become particularly attractive in weight-critical applications when the matrix and reinforcement phases are combined to provide high-damping and low-density characteristics. In selecting the constituents for an MMC, one would like to have damping capacity data for several prospective component materials. Based upon data which have been published in the scientific literature, a concise documentation is given of the damping capacity of materials by three categories: (a) metals and alloys, (b) ceramic materials, and (c) MMCs.