An experimental technique for the evaluation of strain dependent material properties of hard coatings

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Reed, Shad A. | Palazotto, Anthony N. | Baker, William P.

Affiliations: Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Building 640, WPAFB, OH 45433-7765, USA | Department of Mathematics and Statistics: Air Force Institute of Technology, 2950 Hobson Way, Building 640, WPAFB, OH 45433-7765, USA

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Abstract: A novel vibration experiment consisting of a free-free boundary condition, an electromagnetic excitation source, a vacuum chamber, and a laser vibrometer based surface measurement system has been developed that permits high levels of excitation on highly damped specimens with a minimal amount of unwanted systematic error. While some of the aspects of this experiment are not unique, when combined with a processing technique that accounts for the nonlinearities present in the system, this experiment permits, accurate measurement of strain dependent stiffness and damping properties of hard coatings at high strain levels. This procedure has been demonstrated using a titanium beam that has been coated with a free-layer damping treatment of Magnesium Aluminate Spinel. The results indicate that Magnesium Aluminate Spinel has both nonlinear stiffness and damping properties. The stiffness asymptotes to a minimum value around 650 microstrain while the damping is a maximum around 100 microstrain. Additionally, the data contained herein cover a larger strain range for this material than previously reported.

Keywords: Nonlinear damping, nonlinear stiffness, free-free boundary condition, Hilbert Transform, hard coatings, magnesium aluminate spinel

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 697-712, 2008