Mathematical model and experimental studies of behavior of viscoelastic filled polymers under two-frequency loadings

Highly-filled polymer composites are widely used in critical structures in aerospace and other industries. Such structures have to endure complex harmonic loadings. Thus it is important to develop methods of experimental studies and determine deformation properties of highly-filled polymer materials, as well as computational methods for structures working in extreme conditions. The aim of this research is to develop methods of conducting the dynamic experiment, determine viscoelastic parameters of highly-filled polymer composites under stationary two-frequency loadings and find the mathematical model to calculate the stress-strain state of viscoelastic aerospace structures. Linear and nonlinear integral representations of stress and strain for mechanical behavior description of the viscoelastic materials are presented. The general description of a method to mathematically model the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior was accomplished by Volterra using an earlier representation developed by Frechet (Volterra-Frechet integral series). By using the Volterra-Frechet integral series we presented the nonlinear mathematical model based on complex parameters to describe the viscoelastic material behavior under stationary two-frequency loadings (under various values of frequencies and amplitudes). This mathematical model was analyzed and compared to an earlier model with some assumptions in linear dependencies of viscoelastic parameters on strain amplitudes and without hysteresis loop distortions (harmonics distortions) under deformation. We suggest using polynomials to describe the dependencies of viscoelastic parameters on frequency and temperature by using the time-temperature superposition. The two-frequency (dual-frequency) experiments to determine these polynomials are conducted. After the experimental data has been processed, the dependencies of the viscoelastic parameters on frequency and temperature are determined. These results allow developing an optimal experimental design, determining mathematical model constants and assessing the influence of the viscoelastic parameters on the description accuracy of the material behavior under complex harmonic loadings.