3. Choice of materials: the master curve

The behavior of viscoelastic materials is mainly a function of frequency and temperature. Each viscoelastic material is associated with a "master curve" that gives Young's modulus and its imaginary part η (loss factor) as a function of frequency and temperature.

• Frequency response

  In a typical Young's modulus vs. frequency diagram (figure 7 a), we observe two asymptotes of the modulus of rigidity E, one at low frequencies reflecting "rubbery" behavior with a low modulus, and one at high frequencies with a high value, reflecting "glassy" behavior. The two asymptotes are connected by a curve with a point of inflection around a zone known as the material's "transition zone" or viscoelastic zone.

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