Investigation of the motion of particles in magnetorheological elastomers by X- μ CT

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.

2016

Colloidal magnetic particles embedded in an elastic polymer matrix constitute a smart material called a ferrogel. It responds to an applied external magnetic field by changes in elastic properties, which can be exploited for various applications such as dampers, vibration absorbers, or actuators. Under appropriate conditions, the stress-strain behavior of a ferrogel can display a fascinating feature: superelasticity, the capability to reversibly deform by a huge amount while barely altering the applied load. In previous work, using numerical simulations, we investigated this behavior assuming that the magnetic moments carried by the embedded particles can freely reorient to minimize their magnetic interaction energy. Here, we extend the analysis to ferrogels where restoring torques by the surrounding matrix hinder rotations towards a magnetically favored configuration. For example, the particles can be chemically cross-linked into the polymer matrix and the magnetic moments can be fixed to the particle axes. We demonstrate that these systems still feature a superelastic regime. As before, the nonlinear stress-strain behavior can be reversibly tailored during operation by external magnetic fields. Yet, the different coupling of the magnetic moments causes different types of response to external stimuli. For instance, an external magnetic field applied parallel to the stretching axis hardly affects the superelastic regime but stiffens the system beyond it. Other smart materials featuring superelasticity, e.g. metallic shape-memory alloys, have already found widespread applications. Our soft polymer systems offer many additional advantages such as a typically higher deformability and enhanced biocompatibility combined with high tunability.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Superelastic stress–strain behavior in ferrogels with different types of magneto-elastic coupling

Cremer

Löwen

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.

2016

“…First, for diameters up to 10-15 nm, this applies within the interior of each magnetic particle 48 . Second, this is possible when each particle as a whole is free to rotate 47 , e.g., when the polymer is not completely cross-linked in the immediate particle vicinity 49 . Another example are yolk-shell particles with a magnetic core that can rotate within the shell 50,51 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tailoring superelasticity of soft magnetic materials

Cremer

Löwen

Applied Physics Letters

2015

Embedding magnetic colloidal particles in an elastic polymer matrix leads to smart soft materials that can reversibly be addressed from outside by external magnetic fields. We discover a pronounced nonlinear superelastic stress-strain behavior of such materials using numerical simulations. This behavior results from a combination of two stress-induced mechanisms: a detachment mechanism of embedded particle aggregates as well as a reorientation mechanism of magnetic moments. The superelastic regime can be reversibly tuned or even be switched on and off by external magnetic fields and thus be tailored during operation. Similarities to the superelastic behavior of shape-memory alloys suggest analogous applications, with the additional benefit of reversible switchability and a higher biocompatibility of soft materials.The term "superelasticity" expresses the capability of certain materials to perform huge elastic deformations that are completely reversible 1,2 . It was initially introduced in the context of shape-memory alloys 3-5 . These metallic materials can perform large recoverable deformations due to stress-induced phase transitions. A transition to a more elongated lattice structure accommodates an externally imposed extension. Typically, this transition shows up as a pronounced "plateau-like" regime on the corresponding stress-strain curve. On this plateau, the samples are heterogeneous with domains of already transitioned material. Then, only relatively small additional stress induces a huge additional deformation. Smart material properties are observed 6-9 : upon stress release, shape-memory alloys can reversibly find back to their initial state. They self-reliantly adapt their appearance to changed environmental conditions.In the present letter, we demonstrate that an analogous phenomenological behavior can be realized for a very different class of materials, exploiting different underlying mechanisms. Moreover, we show that during operation the behavior can be reversibly tailored from outside by external magnetic fields. All of this is achieved by employing soft magnetic gels as working materials: colloidal magnetic particles embedded in a possibly swollen elastic polymer matrix 10 . Similarly to magnetic fluids 11-18 , magnetic gels allow to reversibly adjust their material properties by external magnetic fields. In this way, switching the elastic properties 19-23 offers a route to construct readily tunable dampers 24 or vibration absorbers 25 , while the possibility to switch the shape 19,26-28 allows application as soft actuators [29][30][31] . Here, we show that magnetic gels due to the interplay between magnetic and elastic interactions likewise feature superelastic behavior: it is enabled by a detachment mechanism of embedded magnetic particle aggregates and by a reorientation mechanism of magnetic moments. Both mechanisms are stress-induced and rea) Electronic mail: pcremer@thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de b) Electronic mail: menzel@thphy.uni-duesseldorf.de spond to external magnetic fields. Therefore, su...

“…Uniaxial extension for elastic matrix, viscoelastic coupling zones, and rigid inclusions As a first example we address the situation outlined already above and observed in recent experiments [22]. An elastic permanently crosslinked polymer matrix contains embedded rigid colloidal particles.…”

Section: Minimal Examplesmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…As mentioned in Sec. I, this was, for instance, inspired by the observation in magnetic gels of a coupling zone around the inclusions that may have (visco)elastic properties markedly different from the bulk of the matrix material [22,23]. Depending on the particular situation, this phenomenological division into three zones may naturally be adjusted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrodynamic description of elastic or viscoelastic composite materials: Relative strains as macroscopic variables

2016

Phys. Rev. E

One possibility to adjust material properties to a specific need is to embed units of one substance into a matrix of another substance. Even materials that are readily tunable during operation can be generated in this way. In (visco)elastic substances, both the matrix material as well as the inclusions and/or their immediate environment can be dynamically deformed. If the typical dynamic response time of the inclusions and their surroundings approach the macroscopic response time, their deformation processes need to be included into a dynamic macroscopic characterization. Along these lines, we present a hydrodynamic description of (visco)elastic composite materials. For this purpose, additional strain variables reflect the state of the inclusions and their immediate environment. These additional strain variables in general are not set by a coarse-grained macroscopic displacement field. Apart from that, during our derivation, we also include the macroscopic variables of relative translations and relative rotations that were previously introduced in different contexts. As a central point, our approach reveals and classifies the importance of a new macroscopic variable: relative strains. We analyze two simplified minimal example geometries as an illustration.