Experimental research and modelling of the response of magnetorheological elastomers to cyclic load

Abstract

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) belong to the new group of functional materials called "smart". The MR effect is increased by choosing the material of the particles with high permeability. The dependence of dynamic moduli and damping of MREs on the external magnetic field and the applied frequency of cyclic shear deformation was studied. Samples of MRE were made of the silicon rubber matrix filled with micron-sized particles. The dynamic stiffness of MRE depends on magnetic flux density and rises with increasing frequency. The loss factor of MRE samples is controlled by the magnetic flux density and it depends also on the testing frequency. The behaviour of viscoelastic materials under uniaxial loading may be represented using rheological models composed of elastic and viscous elements. The dynamic variables storage and loss moduli and loss tangent were determined on the basis of the fitted parameters of the fractional model.