The thermal sensitivity of viscoelastic materials has long constrained the performance of structural dampers. This study resolves this critical issue by developing a novel polyurethane/nickel foam (PU/NF) composite with exceptional thermal stability. By embedding open-cell NF, a material with intrinsically temperature independent energy dissipation, into a PU matrix, we effectively neutralized the polymer’s performance fluctuations. Based on this material, we designed and tested a novel shear-flexural damper that leverages a synergistic mechanism of compression-shear and flexural-shear actions to maximize energy dissipation. Dynamic tests confirmed that the PU/NF composite and the resulting damper maintain stable performance across a wide temperature range. Furthermore, a thermodynamic theoretical model accurately predicts the experimental hysteresis curves, validating our understanding of the synergistic dissipation mechanism. This work presents a robust PU/NF damper that delivers reliable and superior energy dissipation under large displacements and variable thermal conditions, advancing the seismic protection of structures in demanding environments.
Su et al. (Tue,) studied this question.