Design of multi-interfacial porous CuAlMn/Polymer composites and damping performance analysis with nested three-phase model

In this study, a novel porous CuAlMn/(NiTi + NiTiPt@CNT/SA aerogel)/polymer multi-interface composite material was developed, combining lightweight properties with exceptional damping performance through the integration of hierarchical interfaces at macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic scales. The composite was fabricated through a multistep process where various intrinsic and interfacial damping mechanisms are introduced. The sample with 0.5 wt% NiTiPt@CNT exhibited a low density of 2.33 g/cm³ and achieved a peak loss factor of 0.6694 — 2.88 times higher than the control sample (Cu_NiTi+SA_P) and 1.78 times greater than composites with unmodified CNT — along with a storage modulus exceeding 1500 MPa. A nested three-phase model, integrated with energy-based loss factor calculation method, was developed to uncover the underlying damping mechanisms in multi-interface composites. The calculated results show high accuracy with experimental data. Through a detailed decomposition of damping sources, interfacial dissipation was identified as the key contributor (76%) to the composite’s damping behavior. Additionally, the influence of different material parameters on the further optimization of damping performance was explored. This research offers both a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the development and design of high-performance damping materials.