The effect of particle shape and distribution on the macroscopic behavior of magnetoelastic composites

The magnetoelastic homogenization framework and the partial decoupling approximation proposed by Ponte Castaneda and Galipeau (2011) are used to estimate material properties for a class of magnetically susceptible elastomers. Specifically, we consider composites consisting of aligned, ellipsoidal magnetic particles distributed randomly with ellipsoidal symmetry under combined magnetic and mechanical loading. The model captures the coupling between the magnetic and mechanical fields, including the effects of magnetic saturation. The results help elucidate the effects of particle shape, distribution, and concentration on properties such as the magnetostriction, actuation stress, magnetic modulus, and magnetization behavior of a magnetorheological composite. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.