Experimental investigation of magneto-mechanical behavior of magnetorheological elastomers

In this study, magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) based on room temperature vulcanization (RTV) 141 silicone rubber were developed and characterized to evaluate their magnetomechanical behavior under various conditions. The samples were prepared by incorporating 40 vol.% of spherical carbonyl iron particles with diameters of 2–10 µm. Dynamic mechanical analysis in shear mode was performed to investigate the influence of strain, frequency, temperature, and magnetic field on the viscoelastic properties of the composites. The results showed a maximum magnetorheological (MR) effect under a magnetic field of 300 mT at low strain and frequency. The storage modulus (G′) decreased significantly with increasing strain and frequency, indicating a pronounced loss of MR stiffness characteristic of the Payne effect due to the progressive breakdown of the particle network under dynamic loading. These findings confirm that the RTV 141 silicone-based MRE exhibits high and reversible sensitivity to magnetic fields, enabling tunable control of mechanical stiffness. This behavior demonstrates its strong potential for adaptive engineering applications, including dampers, vibration isolators, sensors, and smart actuators.