Five-parameter fractional derivative model for polymeric damping materials

Fractional derivative models offer a powerful tool to describe the dynamic behaviour of real viscoelastic materials. A version of the fractional derivative models characterized by five parameters is presented and investigated in this paper in order to describe asymmetrical loss factor peak and the high-frequency behaviour of polymeric damping materials. The speculative derivation of the model constitutive equation containing time derivatives of stress and strain of different orders is given. The model behaviour is investigated in the frequency domain, the physical meaning of the model parameters is defined and constraints on the parameter values are made. It is shown that the asymmetry of loss peak and the high-frequency behaviour of the model are governed by the difference between the order of time derivatives of stress and strain. Moreover, it is shown that this difference is related to the high-frequency limit value of the loss factor. The model is fitted to experimental data on some polymeric damping materials to verify its behaviour. (C) 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.