It is discussed that the classical effective medium theory for the elastic properties of random heterogeneous materials is not congruous with the effective medium theory for the electrical ...conductivity. In particular, when describing the elastic and electro-conductive properties of a strongly inhomogeneous two-phase composite material, the steep rise of effective parameters occurs at different concentrations. To achieve the logical concordance between the cross-property relations, a modification of the effective medium theory of the elastic properties is introduced. It is shown that the qualitative conclusions of the theory do not change, while a possibility of describing a broader class of composite materials with various percolation thresholds arises. It is determined under what conditions there is an elasticity theory analogue of the Dykhne formula for the effective conductivity. The theoretical results are supported by known experiments and show improvement over the existing approach. The introduction of the theory with the variable percolation threshold paves the way for describing the magnetorheological properties of magnetoactive elastomers. A similar approach has been recently used for the description of magneto-dielectric and magnetic properties.
•The effective medium approximation is modified.•.The percolation threshold depends on the magnetic field.•A significant increase in the effective elastic moduli is feasible.•The existence of a ...magnetic Poisson effect is proposed.
Composite materials where magnetic micrometer-sized particles are embedded into a compliant polymer matrix are known as magnetorheological (or magnetoactive) elastomers (MAEs). They are distinguished by huge variations in their physical properties, when in a magnetic field, which is commonly attributed to the restructuring of the filler. The process of the magnetic-field-induced restructuring in a magnetorheological elastomer is interpreted as progression towards percolation. Such a physical model was previously used to explain the dependence of the magnetic permeability and dielectric permittivity of MAEs on the magnetic field strength. Based on this hypothesis, the magnetorheological effect in MAEs is considered theoretically. The theoretical approach is built upon a self-consistent effective-medium theory for the elastic properties, extended to the variable (field dependent) percolation threshold. The proposed model allows one to describe the large variations (over several orders of magnitude) of the effective elastic moduli of these composite materials, known as the giant magnetorheological (MR) and field-stiffening effects. The existence of a giant magnetic Poisson effect is predicted. The relation of the proposed model to the existing theories of the MR effect in MAEs is discussed. The results can be useful for applications of MAEs in magnetic-field-controlled vibration dampers and isolators.
It is shown that the critical exponent for the effective shear modulus of a composite medium where a compliant polymer matrix is filled with ferromagnetic particles may significantly depend on the ...external magnetic field. The physical consequence of this dependence is the critical behavior of the relative magnetorheological effect.
Polydimethylsiloxane based magnetoactive elastomers demonstrate above the melting transition range (e.g. at room temperature) an induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which grows with increasing ...magnetic field. By freezing a material down to 150 K, displaced iron microparticles are immobilized, so that the magnetic anisotropy can be measured. Magnetic anisotropy “constant” is a consequence of particle displacements and a characteristic of the energy of internal deformations in the polymer matrix. The maximum anisotropy constant of the filling is at least one order of magnitude larger than the shear modulus of the pure elastomer (matrix). In a magnetic field, the gain in the rigidity of the composite material is attributed to the magnetomechanical coupling, which is in turn a source of anisotropy. The concept of effective magnetic field felt by the magnetization allows one to explain the magnetization curve at room temperature from low-temperature measurements. The results can be useful for developing vibration absorbers and isolators.
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•Magnetic anisotropy induced by a magnetic field is experimentally observed.•To investigate magnetic anisotropy, a sample was frozen in a magnetic field.•Magnetic anisotropy “constant” depends on the magnitude of the magnetic field.•Magnetic anisotropy is a characteristic of internal deformations of the polymer matrix.•Effect of the effective magnetic anisotropy field on the magnetization is found.
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•The effect of blocking of particles displacement in MAE was observed from ZFC-FC.•M-H loops change the shape at solidification temperature of MAE.
The magnetization of a ...magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) with microparticles of soft magnetic carbonyl iron embedded in a highly elastic matrix has been studied. It is shown that at high temperatures its magnetization curve has the form of a specific hysteresis loop. This hysteresis is attributed to the influence of displacement of magnetized particles in the elastically soft elastomer matrix under the effect of magnetic forces, leading to the change of magnetic interaction between the particles. In this case, there is a maximum in the field dependence of the magnetic susceptibility, the occurrence of which has been associated with the competition between re-arrangement of particles, when they are displaced in a magnetic field, and saturation of particles’ magnetization. When the MAE is cooled below approximately 225 K, both the magnetic hysteresis and the maximum in the field dependence of the magnetic susceptibility disappear. When the MAE material is cooled below the solidification temperature of the elastomer matrix, the displacements of the magnetic particles during magnetization are blocked by the rigid matrix. The magnetization reversal of the MAE is reversible. This means that the shape of subsequent magnetization loops remains constant and the sample returns into the initial non-magnetized state after the magnetic field is turned off.
► Anisotropic heat flux sensors made from single crystal of bismuth and from artificial anisotropic materials is presented. ► The calibration of both types shows the dependence of the output voltage ...from heat flux with error 0.64% and 6.8% respectively. ► The response time found from direct experiment is about 10ns. ► New sensors can be used with environmental temperature 1300K.
The paper studies gradient heat flux sensors (GHFS) based on artificial anisotropic thermoelements. Fundamentals, manufacturing technique and examples of applications in thermal measurement experiments are presented. Comparison of different types of sensors is provided.
We propose a theoretical approach for calculating effective electric and magnetic properties of composites, with field dependent restructuring of the filler. The theory combines the effective medium ...approximation, extended to a field-dependent (variable) percolation threshold, with an approximate treatment of the nonlinearity of material properties. Theoretical results are compared with experiments on magnetorheological elastomers, which in the context of investigated phenomena are often called magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs). In MAEs with soft polymer matrices, the mutual arrangement of inclusions changes in an applied magnetic field. This reorganization of the microstructure leads to unconventionally large changes of electrical and magnetic properties. The obtained theoretical results describe observed phenomena in MAEs well. For the magnetodielectric effect, qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is demonstrated. In the case of magnetic permeability, quantitative agreement is achieved. The theoretical approach presented can be useful for the development of field-controlled smart materials and design of intelligent structures on their basis, because the field dependence of physical properties can be predicted.
•The method of movable percolation threshold is proposed.•The effective properties of composites, with the restructuring of the filler, are calculated.•The mechanism of magnetodielectric effect in magnetoactive elastomers is proposed.•The nonmonotonic field dependence of magnetic permeability in magnetoactive elastomers is explained.
In composite materials, with field-dependent restructuring of the filler material (changes in the mutual arrangement of inclusions), the presence of an external magnetic field induces anisotropy of ...the dielectric properties, even if the composite is isotropic in the absence of an external field. A modified effective medium approximation is proposed for the calculation of the components of effective permittivity within a class of composites with reconfigurable microstructure, where both phases (the filler and the matrix) are isotropic and the inclusions have spherical shape. The effective physical properties are calculated in the parallel and perpendicular directions to an applied field. The appearance of the anisotropy of the permittivity is simulated by the introduction of two not-equal, possibly variable (field-dependent) percolation thresholds. The implications, of the proposed theoretical approach, are demonstrated for the case of the dielectric properties of magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs). In MAEs with soft polymer matrices, the mutual arrangement of micrometer-sized magnetic inclusions can significantly change in an applied magnetic field. A reasonable agreement between theory and experiment at a measurement frequency of 1 kHz is found, and is improved in comparison to the previous models. The components of the effective permittivity tensor, characterizing the dielectric properties along the direction of the applied magnetic field and in the orthogonal direction, grow with an increasing field. This growth is more pronounced for the permittivity component in the field direction. The possible extensions of the theoretical model and future directions of research are discussed. The presented theoretical approach can be useful for the application-driven development of a number of smart materials, in particular electro- and magnetorheological gels, elastomers and fluids.
•The mechanism of the field-induced anisotropy of the dielectric properties of magnetoactive elastomers is proposed.•In order to describe the anisotropy, the effective medium approximation is modified.•The calculated dependence of the permittivity tensor on a magnetic field is compared with the experiment.
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