Physics Commons^™

The Effect Of Polymer Stiffness On Magnetization Reversal Of Magnetorheological Elastomers, Andy T. Clark, David Marchfield, Zheng Cao, Tong Dang, Nan Tang, Dustin Gilbert, Elise A. Corbin, Kristen S. Buchanan, Xuemei Cheng

Physics Faculty Research and Scholarship

Ultrasoft magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) offer convenient real-time magnetic field control of mechanical properties that provides a means to mimic mechanical cues and regulators of cells in vitro. Here, we systematically investigate the effect of polymer stiffness on magnetization reversal of MREs using a combination of magnetometry measurements and computational modeling. Poly-dimethylsiloxane- based MREs with Young’s moduli that range over two orders of magnitude were synthesized using commercial polymers SylgardTM 527, Sylgard 184, and carbonyl iron powder. The magnetic hysteresis loops of the softer MREs exhibit a characteristic pinched loop shape with almost zero remanence and loop widening at intermediate fields …