Closing the Gap in Broadband Mechanical Spectroscopy — Expanding the Range of Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

The dynamic mechanical properties of tread compounds at certain frequency ranges are used as predictors of tyre performance: low frequencies (< 10 Hz) determine rolling resistance, while higher frequencies (up to several hundred kHz) are the frequencies most important for braking and wear. Therefore, measuring these properties over a very broad range of frequencies is imperative for the optimization process. A broadband technique covering all relevant frequencies would present an immense improvement and result in better tyres as well as being an asset to the wider research community within rheology and polymer dynamics. The objectives of this project are to develop an experimental tool to measure the dynamic mechanical properties of polymer composites at high frequencies (up to 100 kHz) and to employ the technique to improve the understanding of the correlation between rubber compound characteristics and viscoelastic properties at high frequencies.