Published in Materials & Design

The study on “Metamaterial with a Composite Structure of Molded Pulp and a Steel Plate” by Sunao Tomita et al. in collaboration with Toyota Auto Body, was published in Materials & Design.

With an increase in electric vehicle users recently, road noise and other noise that are previously concealed by engine noise have now becoming apparent. Moreover, vehicle vibrations, which are the primary cause of such noise, should be reduced. In this study, a metamaterial composite of molded pulp and general-purpose steel plates was proposed to suppress vehicle vibration. The molded pulp is made from wasted paper and known as cushioning material.
The proposed metamaterial realizes vibration reduction over a wide frequency range with a lightweight structure, as a result of the periodic convex shape of the molded pulp and the inherent low density and vibration damping properties of the pulp material. As the metamaterial is obtained from recycled materials, it promises to be applicable in the production of vibration-damping parts with less impact on the environment.

Title: Elastic Metamaterial Composite Made of Molded Pulp and Steel for Suppression of Low-frequency Vibration in Thin-plate Structures
Authors: Tomita, S., Nakano, S., Segi, M., Nishimura, T.
Journal Name: Materials & Design
Published: September 24, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.111200