New material dampens noise and vibrations

This was announced by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) on Thursday. According to her, both properties are important: vibrations damage machines and buildings, while noise disturbs people and is unhealthy. "This is why we need damping materials that are also rigid," the press release explains.

Materials researchers have now developed a new class of composite materials that have both properties. They consist of layers of a rigid material and extremely thin polymer layers. "Ioanna Tsimouri achieved this feat in her doctoral thesis," writes ETH Zurich.

According to the researchers, the new material is conceivable for many applications. For example, it could be used in window glass, machine housings or car parts - in principle, the field of application ranges from aerospace to sensor technology.

The researchers have applied for a patent for the invention and have now published it in the specialist journal "Composites Part B: Engineering".