Mechanical testing of polymeric foams at low frequency

Porous materials, like plastic foams, are widely used for sound absorbing purposes. This paper deals with the mechanical behaviour of polyurethane foams' skeleton. The complex elastic constants of open cell foams are measured at low frequency (from 1 Hz to 100 Hz). Quasi-static experimental configuration and numerical inversion method are presented. In the case of isotropic foams, measurements of the complex Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are set out. Results can be directly used to predict the vibroacoustic behaviour of systems containing viscoelastic polyurethane foams. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.