4. Characterization of viscoelastic materials and current standards

The aim of each characterization procedure is to determine the parameters of the behavior model we have chosen, according to its purpose: macroscopic frequency and temperature behavior, aging laws, behavior under preload, to name but a few. Conventional tests, which are generally standardized, cannot calculate all the parameters required for complete dynamic modeling of the material in a single run, taking into account all operating conditions such as frequency, temperature, preload, ageing, humidity or non-linearity (large deformations and asymmetries of behaviour, for example). It will often be necessary to use several test techniques to estimate all the parameters.

To identify the fundamental parameters of viscoelastic materials (stiffness and damping as a function of frequency and temperature), there are three types of procedure:

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