Dynamic damping property of magnetorheological elastomer

Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is a new kind of smart materials, its dynamic mechanic performances can be controlled by an applied magnetic field. MRE is usually used as a stiffness-changeable spring in the semi-active vibration absorber. In order to get perfect vibration control effect, low dynamic damping of MRE is need. But the dynamic damping of MRE was not studied deeply in the past. The dynamic damping of MRE was studied and analyzed. The influences of different test conditions including test strain amplitude, test frequency and test magnetic field were deeply studied. MRE sample and pure silicone rubber sample were prepared and tested under different conditions. The test results show that the main source of dynamic damping is the friction between iron particles and rubber matrix. And the friction is mainly influenced by the strain amplitude and test magnetic field.