So, what is damping? Damping is the dissipation of energy, usually by releasing it in the form of low-grade heat. One form of damping is referred to as hysteretic damping. Hysteretic damping, generally attributed to elastomeric damping materials, utilizes the composition of the material itself to create internal friction whenever the material is deformed. Subsequently, this internal friction causes high energy losses to occur. The measure of the energy loss created by the hysteretic damping is often defined as a “loss factor”. Loss factor is the ratio of energy dissipated to energy stored, with higher values indicating a greater amount of energy loss. ISODAMP™ materials can provide a loss factor greater than 1, meaning that the material is capable of removing as much or more energy than it retains. A loss factor greater than 1 indicates a specialty material with very high damping properties, whereas generic elastomers, such as silicones and rubbers, have much lower values.