Dot-patterned hybrid magnetorheological elastomer developed by 3D printing

This article presents the development of dot-patterned magnetorheological (MR) elastomers (MREs) via 3D printing technology and their magnetorheological characterization. The 3D printed MR elastomer consists of three different materials; magnetic particles, magnetic particles carrier medium, and an elastomer. In such 3D printing, a controlled volume of MR fluid is encapsulated layer-by-layer within the elastomer matrix. The capability of 3D printing technology has been successfully demonstrated by developing the various dot patterns MR elastomers namely isotropic, anisotropic and configurations inspired from basic crystal structures such as BCC and FCC. The magneto-mechanical properties of such 3D printed MR elastomers (3DP-MREs) are studied using a cyclic compression and through a forced vibration testing. In the presence of a magnetic field, a clear change in stiffness of 3DP-MREs has been achieved. Moreover, the anisotropic behavior of 3DP-MREs has also been demonstrated. The experimental results suggested that the 3D printing method makes it possible to develop various structured MREs even without applying a magnetic field during the fabrication process.