Viscoelastic Materials

Understanding viscoelasticity is pertinent to design applications as diverse as earplugs, gaskets, computer disks, satellite stability, medical diagnosis, injury prevention, vibration abatement, tire performance, sports, spacecraft explosions, and music. This book fits a one-semester graduate course on the properties, analysis, and uses of viscoelastic materials. Those familiar with the author’s precursor book, Viscoelastic Solids, will see that this book contains many updates and expanded coverage of the materials science, causes of viscoelastic behavior, properties of materials of biological origin, and applications of viscoelastic materials. The theoretical presentation includes both transient and dynamic aspects, with emphasis on linear viscoelasticity to develop physical insight. Methods for the solution of stress analysis problems are developed and illustrated. Experimental methods for characterization of viscoelastic materials are explored in detail. Viscoelastic phenomena are described for a wide variety of materials, including viscoelastic composite materials. Applications of viscoelasticity and viscoelastic materials are illustrated with case studies.