W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Michele Marie Gentile

Frank S Principe

Stephen P Sutton

Edwin G Dauber

Michael Earl Kennedy

Ross Kennedy Hutter

John-Peter Ludwig Fuhr

Frank Principe

A new composite damping material is presented which exhibits an enhanced ability to dampen mechanical oscillations. The enhanced damping properties of this material are achieved through the entrapment of highly viscous damping fluids within the pores of a porous material (such as: an expanded polymer, felt, foam, fabric, metal, etc.). The entrapment of the fluid within the porous scaffold prevents flow, providing a stable composite which may be shaped into useful articles. Such a construct allows utilization of the high performance damping properties of fluids which, in pure form, are too fluid-like for most practical applications (which typically require a solid, stable, material). This composite, possessing damping performance approaching that of certain fluids, combined with stability in a solid form, can be used in many applications where materials are needed to damp the vibration of mechanical systems. Such applications include, but are not limited to, damping of vibrations which produce noise or degrade performance in airplanes, automobiles, space structures, machine tools, sporting goods, disk drive components and assemblies, electrical/electronic components such as transformers, electrical cables, etc. In addition, these composites may be used to alter or tune the mechanical response of a variety of systems to produce desired impulse or vibrational response.

Vibration damping composite material

A creep resistant article is provided which is dimensioned from a stock material consisting essentially of a plurality of layers of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene which has been densified. The expanded polytetrafluoroethylene exhibits remnants of a fibril and node structure. The article is resistant to creep at high temperatures and under high loads.

Creep resistant shaped article of densified expanded

The present invention advances the art of vibration damping material constructions known to date. In one aspect of the present invention, a vibration damping article comprises at least one layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The vibration damping article of the present invention may also comprise at least one adhesive layer for mounting to an object of interest. The vibration damping article of the present invention may also comprise at least one constrained layer, such as a metal or polymer film layer, for example. The constrained layer may be adhered to the PTFE layer, with a layer of adhesive, or the constrained layer may be adhered with heat, pressure, ultrasonics or other laminating means, depending upon the constrained layer construction.

Vibration damping article

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Newark, DE, United States of America

Michele Marie Gentile