Factors which affect the glass transition and damping capability of polymers

The shape of the glass transition plays a critical role in the engineering performance of polymers in sound and vibration damping, as well as other applications. The transition may be affected by fillers, plasticizers, blending, IPN formation, etc. A collection of data, both original and literature, is presented which illustrates how the phenomenon works. Emphasis is placed on the role of the area under the linear loss modulus–temperature curve, which may be evaluated in a fashion similar to other spectroscopic techniques. In addition, the loss area can be significantly affected by morphological factors.