Stimuli dependent impedance of conductive magnetorheological elastomers

The structure dependent impedance of conductive magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) under different loads and magnetic fields has been studied in this work. By increasing the weight fraction of iron particles, the conductivity of the MREs increased. Dynamic mechanical measurements and synchrotron radiation x-ray computed tomography (SR-CT) were used and they provided reasons for the electrical properties changing significantly under pressure and magnetic field stimulation. The high sensitivity of MREs to external stimuli renders them suitable for application in force or magnetic field sensors. The equivalent circuit model was proposed to analyze the impedance response of MREs and it fits the experimental results very well. Each circuit component reflected the change of the inner interface under different conditions, thus relative changes in the microstructure could be distinguished. This method could be used not only to detect the structural changes in the MRE but also to provide a great deal of valuable information for the further understanding of the MR mechanism.