Magneto-sensitive elastomers in a homogeneous magnetic field: a regular rectangular lattice model

TL;DR

This paper develops a linear elasticity model for magneto-sensitive elastomers with various particle distributions, showing how magnetic fields influence their mechanical properties and deformation behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a regular rectangular lattice model to analyze the effects of magnetic particle distribution on elastomer mechanics under magnetic fields.

Findings

Magnetic particles cause elastomer contraction along the magnetic field.

Shear modulus increases with magnetic field for all distributions.

Young's modulus varies depending on particle distribution and magnetic field strength.

Abstract

A theory of mechanical behaviour of the magneto-sensitive elastomers is developed in the framework of a linear elasticity approach. Using a regular rectangular lattice model, different spatial distributions of magnetic particles within a polymer matrix are considered: isotropic, chain-like and plane-like. It is shown that interaction between the magnetic particles results in the contraction of an elastomer along the homogeneous magnetic field. With increasing magnetic field the shear modulus for the shear deformation perpendicular to the magnetic field increases for all spatial distributions of magnetic particles. At the same time, with increasing magnetic field the Young's modulus for tensile deformation along the magnetic field decreases for both chain-like and isotropic distributions of magnetic particles and increases for the plane-like distribution of magnetic particles.