Strongly nonlinear waves in polymer based phononic crystals

One dimensional "sonic vacuum"-type phononic crystals were assembled from chains of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) beads and Parylene coated spheres with different diameters. It was demonstrated for the first time that these polymer-based granular system, with exceptionally low elastic modulus of particles, support the propagation of strongly nonlinear solitary waves with a very low speed. They can be described using classical nonlinear Hertz law despite the viscoelastic nature of the polymers and the high strain rate deformation of the contact area. Trains of strongly nonlinear solitary waves excited by an impact were investigated experimentally and were found to be in reasonable agreement with numerical calculations. Tunability of the signal shape and velocity was achieved through a non-contact magnetically induced precompression of the chains. This applied prestress allowed an increase of up to two times the solitary waves speed and significant delayed the signal splitting. Anomalous reflection at the interface of two "sonic vacua"-type systems was reported.