In this letter, the possibility to use a technique based on the analysis of thickness resonances of air-surrounded aerogel plates at ultrasonic frequencies to obtain viscoelastic properties is investigated. These resonances were excited and sensed by airborne ultrasonic waves. Toward this purpose, specially designed air-coupled, high-sensitivity, and broadband piezoelectric transducers were used. Precise and simultaneous measurements of the velocity and attenuation of longitudinal and shear waves at different frequencies, as well as aerogel density, were obtained. It allowed us to afford a full characterization of the viscoelastic properties of these materials at ultrasonic frequencies.

Topics
Ultrasonics, Transducers, Aerogel, Shear waves, Viscoelasticity
1.
R.
Gerlach
,
O.
Kraus
, and
J.
Fricke
,
J. Non-Cryst. Solids
145
,
227
(
1992
).
Google Scholar
 
2.
O.
Kraus
,
R.
Gerlach
, and
J.
Fricke
,
Ultrasonics
32
,
217
(
1994
).
Google Scholar
 
3.
V.
Gibbiat
,
O.
Lefeuvre
,
T.
Woignier
,
J.
Pelous
, and
J.
Phalippou
,
J. Non-Cryst. Solids
186
,
244
(
1995
).
Google Scholar
 
4.
S. P.
Kelly
,
R.
Farlow
, and
G.
Hayward
,
IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control
43
,
581
(
1996
).
Google Scholar
 
5.
J. P.
Jones
,
D.
Lee
,
M.
Bardwaj
,
V.
Vanderkam
, and
B.
Achauer
,
Acoust. Imaging
23
,
89
(
1997
).
Google Scholar
 
6.
T. E. Gómez and F. Montero, Proceedings of the 2001 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Atlanta, 7–10 October 2001, (IEEE, New York, 2001), p. 591.
7.
I. Ladabaum, B. T. Khuri-Yakub, D. Spoliansky, and M. I. Haller, Proceedings of the 1995 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Seattle, Washington, 7–10 November 1995 (IEEE, New York, 1995), p. 501.
8.
T. E. Gómez, F. Montero, M. Moner-Girona, E. Rodriguez, A. Roig, E. Molins, J. R. Rodrı́guez, S. Vargas, and M. Esteves, Proceedings of the 2001 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Atlanta, 7–10 October 2001 (IEEE, New York, 2001), p. 1077.
9.
T. E.
Gómez
and
F.
Montero de Espinosa
,
Bol. Soc. Esp. Ceram. Vidrio
41
,
16
(
2002
).
Google Scholar
 
10.
T.
Schlief
,
J.
Gross
, and
J.
Fricke
,
J. Non-Cryst. Solids
145
,
223
(
1992
).
Google Scholar
 
11.
A.
Zimmerman
,
J.
Gross
, and
J.
Fricke
,
J. Non-Cryst. Solids
186
,
238
(
1995
).
Google Scholar
 
12.
F. Montero, T. E. Gómez, A. Albareda, R. Pérez, and J. A. Casals, Proceedings of the 2000 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 22–25 October 2000 (IEEE, New York, 2000), p. 1073.
13.
S. P. Kelly, G. Hayward, and T. E. Gómez, Proceedings of the 2001 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, Atlanta, 7–10 October 2001, (IEEE, New York, 2001), p. 965.
14.
M.
Moner-Girona
,
A.
Roig
,
E.
Molins
,
E.
Martı́nez
, and
J.
Esteve
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
75
,
653
(
1999
).
Google Scholar
 
15.
Y.
Xie
and
J. R.
Beamish
,
Phys. Rev. B
57
,
3406
(
1998
).
Google Scholar
 
16.
L. Flax, G. C. Gaunaurd, and H. Überall, in Physical Acoustics, edited by W. P. Mason and R. N. Thurston (Academic, New York, 1981), Vol. 15.
17.
L. M. Brekhovskikh, Waves in Layered Media (Academic, New York, 1960).
18.
D. R. Bland, The Theory of Linear Viscoelasticity (Pergamon, New York, 1960).
19.
T. E. Gómez and F. Montero, Proceedings of the 2000 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 22–25 October 2000 (IEEE, New York, 2000), p. 1069.
20.
W.
Sachse
and
H. Y.
Pao
,
J. Appl. Phys.
49
,
4320
(
1978
).
Google Scholar
 
21.
J.
Gross
and
J.
Fricke
,
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
91
,
2004
(
1992
).
Google Scholar
 
22.
J.
Gross
,
G.
Reichenauer
, and
J.
Fricke
,
J. Phys. D
21
,
1447
(
1988
).
Google Scholar
 
23.
T. L.
Szabo
and
J.
Wu
,
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
107
,
2437
(
2000
).
Google Scholar
 
24.
T. L.
Szabo
,
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
97
,
14
(
1995
).
Google Scholar
 
25.
J. D. Ferry, Viscoelastic Properties of Polymers (Wiley, New York, 1980).
26.
A. C.
Kibblewhite
,
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
86
,
716
(
1989
).
Google Scholar
 
27.
J.
Fricke
and
T.
Tillotson
,
Thin Solid Films
297
,
212
(
1997
).
Google Scholar
 
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2002 American Institute of Physics.
2002
American Institute of Physics
You do not currently have access to this content.