Effect of porosity on the damping properties of modified epoxy composites filled with fly ash

The effect of porosity on the damping property of modified fly ash/epoxy composites was investigated. Results show that the loss factor of porous fly ash/epoxy composite (which has a porosity of 42%) can reach (0.73 similar to 0.84), while that of the cracked fly ash/ epoxy composite (which has a porosity of 1.4%) only reaches (0.55 similar to 0.68), but is still higher than that of the matrix. In addition, the damping mechanisms have been qualitatively analyzed in light of the information about the microstructures, porosities and loss factors. (c) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.