Experimental Evaluation of Low-Pass Shock Isolation Performance of Elastomers Using Frequency-Based Kolsky Bar Analyses

Abstract Elastomeric materials are used as shock isolation materials in a variety of environments to dampen vibrations and/or absorb energy from external impact for minimizing energy transfer between two objects or bodies. Some applications require the shock isolation materials to behave as a low-pass mechanical filter to mitigate the shock/impact at high frequencies but transmit the energy at low frequencies with minimal attenuation. In order to fulfill this requirement, a shock isolation material needs to be carefully evaluated and selected with proper experimental design, procedures, and analyses. In this study, a Kolsky bar was modified with pre-compression (up to 15.5 kN) and confinement capabilities to evaluate low-pass shock isolation performance in terms of acceleration attenuation through a variety of elastomers. The effects of preload and specimen geometry on the low-pass shock isolation response were also investigated.