Measurements and identification of smart magnetomechanical elastomer composite materials properties in shear mode

Magnetorheological elastomer composite materials (MRE) are a new class of intelligent active materials composed of ferromagnetic particles, of micrometric size, dispersed in a silicone elastomer matrix, which exhibit variable stiffness and damping properties which are modifiable under the application of an external magnetic field. Currently, these devices are primarily used in automotive and building applications, but they can easily be adapted to meet the requirements of aerospace applications. The development process and experimental characterization needed to evaluate the active control performance of this material have been made. This is done by characterizing the mechanical properties as a function of the magnetic field, as a function of the excitation frequency and as a function of the different percentage of ferromagnetic particles loading. An example of application of this material in aeronautics is also presented. (paper)