Properties of inhomogeneous-type magnetorheological elastomer formed in the presence of a magnetic field with tilted angles

Magnetorheological elastomers (MRE) are smart materials whose mechanical properties can be tuned using an applied magnetic field. Many studies have shown that MRE properties are influenced by particle size, particle volume fraction, and matrix material type. The particle-magnetic dipole theory has demonstrated that the angle of the particle chains significantly affects the properties. This study investigated the effects of the alignment angle of the particle chains on the properties of MREs. The inclination angle is a parameter associated with the external magnetic flux density. MRE samples fabricated under a magnetic field with different tilt angles were prepared for the shear tests. The primary properties of MRE, such as viscoelasticity, magnetic-induced properties, and hysteresis, were comprehensively investigated in the samples. The equivalent stiffness and loss of energy changed significantly in the tilted angle domain. The force–displacement loops also showed a clear difference among the samples when the experiments were performed at the same amplitude, frequency, and magnetic flux density. The experimental results show that the magnetic and hysteretic properties strongly depend on the initial tilt angle of the chain.