Comparative Investigation of Metal- and Polymer-Based Embedded Acoustic Black Holes for Vibration Control

• Material properties govern vibration attenuation mechanisms in embedded ABH structures. • Metallic ABHs provide narrow high-frequency attenuation, while polymer ABHs enable broader low-frequency response. • Vibration suppression arises from coupled ABH effect, local resonance, and energy localization. • Elastic modulus-to-density ratio determines attenuation onset, while material parameters control attenuation level. Acoustic black holes (ABHs) offer significant potential for lightweight vibration control; however, the role of material properties in governing their vibration reduction mechanisms remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates embedded ABH structures from a material-driven perspective through numerical modelling, parametric analysis, and experimental validation. The vibration characteristics of ABH plates with representative metallic and polymeric materials are systematically compared, and the effects of key material parameters—including elastic modulus, mass density, and loss factor—are quantitatively analyzed. The results reveal distinct material-dependent behaviors: metal-based ABHs exhibit narrow but high-amplitude attenuation bands concentrated at high frequencies, whereas polymer-based ABHs provide broader attenuation bands starting from lower frequencies but with reduced attenuation levels. It is further demonstrated that vibration reduction in ABH structures arises from the combined effects of local structural resonance, energy localization, and ABH-induced wave manipulation, rather than the ABH effect alone. The ratio of elastic modulus to density ( E / ρ ) governs the onset frequency of effective attenuation bands, while independent variations in E and ρ modulate vibration amplitude through changes in structural stiffness and inertia. Increasing material damping significantly enhances energy dissipation without altering characteristic frequencies. These findings provide new insights into the material-driven design of ABH structures and offer practical guidance for achieving broadband and efficient vibration reduction in lightweight engineering systems.