A new magnetic-responsive hybrid soft composite with tunable equivalent tensile modulus: a proof-of-concept

Source abstract

Abstract A preliminary study on a new hybrid soft composite with magnetically tunable equivalent tensile modulus, with a primary focus on an experimental investigation as a proof-of-concept, is presented here. Thin soft composite devices were designed and fabricated using state-of-the-art molding technology and two magnetic-responsive materials: a magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) and a magneto-rheological elastomer (MRE). Mechanical properties such as composite equivalent tensile modulus (CETM) were measured using tensile test equipment. A change of up to 300% can be achieved in the CETM by applying a 0.3 T magnetic field using permanent magnets. The results presented in this work can shed some light on the investigation of the proposed new soft composite for use in diverse applications, including those that are foldable and wearable, in which the stress-strain property needs to be locally tuned or controlled by the magnetic field intensity.