Test for the deep:magnetic loading characterization of elastomers under extreme hydrostatic pressures

Soft robot incarnates its unique advantages in deep-sea exploration,but grapples with high hydrostatic pressure’s unpredictable impact on its mechanical performances.In our previous work,a self-powered soft robot showed excellent work performance in the Mariana Trench at a depth of 11000 m,yet experienced notable degradation in deforming capability.Here,we propose a magnetic loading method for characterizing elastomer’s mechanical properties under extremely high hydrostatic pressure of up to 120 MPa.This method facilitates remote loading and enables in-situ observation,so that the dimensions and deformation at high hydrostatic pressure are obtained and used for calculations.The results reveal that the Young’s modulus of Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)monotonously increases with pressure.It is found that the relative increase in Young’s modulus is determined by its initial value,which is 8% for an initial Young’s modulus of 2200 kPa and 38% for 660 kPa.The relation between initial Young’s modulus and relevant increase can be fitted by an exponential function.The bulk modulus of PDMS is about 1.4 GPa at 20℃ and is barely affected by hydrostatic pressure.The method can quantify alterations in the mechanical properties of elastomers induced by hydrostatic pressure,and provide guidance for the design of soft robots which serve in extreme pressure environment.

Actively tunable sandwich acoustic metamaterials with magnetorheological elastomers

Sandwich structures are widespread in engineering applications because of their advantageous mechanical properties.Recently,their acoustic performance has also been improved to enable attenuation of low-frequency vibrations induced by noisy environments.Here,we propose a new design of sandwich plates(SPs)featuring a metamaterial core with an actively tunable low-frequency bandgap.The core contains magnetorheological elastomer(MRE)resonators which are arranged periodically and enable controlling wave attenuation by an external magnetic field.We analytically estimate the sound transmission loss(STL)of the plate using the space harmonic expansion method.The low frequency sound insulation performance is also analyzed by the equivalent dynamic density method,and the accuracy of the obtained results is verified by finite-element simulations.Our results demonstrate that the STL of the proposed plate is enhanced compared with a typical SP analog,and the induced bandgap can be effectively tuned to desired frequencies.This study further advances the field of actively controlled acoustic metamaterials,and paves the way to their practical applications.

Investigation on Magnetorheological Effect of Novel Self-healing Magnetorheological Elastomers

Magnetorheological elastomers(MREs)hold significant promise in various fields such as automotive engineering,and civil engineering,where they serve as intelligent materials.Depending on the application of an external magnetic field,these materials exhibit varying magnetorheological and viscoelastic properties,including shear stress,yield stress,dynamic moduli,and damping.In this work,a new type of MRE,termed self-healing MREs(SH-MREs),has been developed by adding a novel self-healing agent into existing MREs.The dynamic modulus and loss factor of SH-MREs with different compositions have been characterized under various conditions of frequency,temperature,and strain.The results show that as the strain value increases,the loss factor also increases.Moreover,the loss factor initially increases and then decreases with increasing magnetic field strength.Although higher concentrations of ferromagnetic particles increase the loss factor,they enhance the operational range due to their better responsiveness to magnetic fields.SH-MREs demonstrate improved damping capabilities,attributed to the formation of coordination bonds between ferromagnetic particles and the self-healing agent.The stable structure increases the viscosity of MREs.The results of the regression model suggest a direct proportionality between sensitivity to the magnetic field and the ferromagnetic particle concentration.

Numerical Analysis on Magnetic-induced Shear Modulus of Magnetorheological Elastomers Based on Multi-chain Model

Based on the magnetic interaction energy, using derivative of the magnetic energy density, a model is proposed to compute the magnetic-induced shear modulus of magnetorheological elastomers. Taking into account the influences of particles in the same chain and the particles in all adjacent chains, the traditional magnetic dipole model of the magnetorheological elastomers is modified. The influence of the ratio of the distance etween adjacent chains to the distance between adjacent particles in a chain on the magnetic induced shear odulus is quantitatively studied. When the ratio is large, the multi-chain model is compatible with the single chain model, but when the ratio is small, the difference of the two models is significant and can not be neglected. Making certain the size of the columns and the distance between adjacent columns, after constructing the computational model of BCT structures, the mechanical property of the magnetorheological elastomers composed of columnar structures is analyzed. Results show that, conventional point dipole model has overrated the magnetic-induced shear modulus of the magnetorheological elastomers. From the point of increasing the magnetic-induced shear modulus, when the particle volume fraction is small, the chain-like structure exhibits better result than the columnar structure, but when the particle volume fraction is large,the columnar structure will be better.

Preparation and electrostriction of BaTiO_3/polyurethane nanocomposite elastomers

BaTiO3/polyurethane （BaTiO3/PU） nanocomposite elastomers were prepared from barium titanate nanoparticles, polyester polyol, 2, 4-toluene diisocyanate, 1,4-butanediol and 1, 1, 1-trimethanol propane by the one-step method. The density, hardness and dielectric constant of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers increased with the increase of the content of BaTiO3 nanoparticles in nanocomposites. The electrostrictive properties of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers were investigated by the digital speckle correlation method （DSCM）. It was found that through the on-and-off of the electric field, the electrostrictive strains of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers revealed corresponding shrinkage and recovery. The electrostrictive coefficient of BaTiO3/PU nanocomposite elastomers was greater than that of the corresponding polyurethane elastomers, and the electrostrictive coefficient of composites decreased with the increase of the content of barium titanate nanoparticles.

Damping of magnetorheological elastomers

The damping property of magnetorheological elastomers(MREs) is characterized by a modified dynamic mechanical-magnetic coupled analyzer.The influence of external magnetic flux density,damping of matrix,content of iron particles,dynamic strain and driving frequency on the MREs' damping was investigated experimentally.The results indicate that the MREs' damping property depends on the interfacial slip between the inner particles and the matrix.Different from the general composite materials,the interfacial slip in MRE is affected by the external applied magnetic field.

Damping of Magnetorheological Elastomers

The damping property of magnetorheological （MR） elastomers is characterized by a modified dynamic mechanical-magnetic coupled analyzer. The influences of the external magnetic flux density, damping of the matrix, content of iron particles, dynamic strain, and driving frequency on the damping properties of MR elastomers were investigated experimentally. The experimental results indicate that the damping properties of MR elastomers greatly depend on the interfacial slipping between the inner particles and the matrix. Different from general composite materials, the interracial slipping in MR elastomers is affected by the external applied magnetic field.

Enhancement in Magnetorheological Effect of Magnetorheological Elastomers by Surface Modification of Iron Particles

In order to obtain magnetorheological （MR） elastomers with high magnetorheological effect, a family of anisotropic rubber-based MR elastomers was developed using a new form of chemical modification. Three different kinds of surfactants, i.e. anionic, nonionic and compound surfactants, were employed separately to modify iron particles. The MR effect was evaluated by measuring the dynamic shear modulus of MR elastomer with a magneto-combined dynamic mechanical analyzer. Results show that the relative MR effect can be up to 188% when the iron particles are modified with 15% Span 80. Besides the surface activity of Span 80, however, such high modifying effect is partly due to the plasticizing effect of Span 80. Compared with the single surfactant, the superior surface activity of compound surfactant makes the relative MR effect reach 77% at a low content of 0.4%. Scanning electron microscope observation shows that the modification of compound surfactant results in perfect compatibility between particles and rubber matrix and special self-assembled structure of particles. Such special structure has been proved beneficial to the improvement of the relative MR effect.

Phenomenological description of semi-soft nematic elastomers

Nematic elastomers are new materials that have many remarkable properties.In this article,we study how nonlinear elasticity of semi-soft nematic elastomers can be described phenomenologically.We start with a theory based on strain tensor only,and then continue to develop a phenomenological description with the liquid crystal order tensor included explicitly.Such a description has the virtue of being able to treat the strain tensor and the liquid crystal order tensor equally and thus making the complicated symmetries of nematic elastomers easier to understand.

Electromechanical Properties of Ethylene Propylene Diene Elastomers: Effect of Ethylene Norbornene Content

Ethylene propylene diene elastomers (EPDM) of various side chains and molecular weights were prepared as thin discs and the effects of electric field strength and temperature on the electromechanical properties were investigated. The electrical conductivity, the dielectric constant, the storage and loss moduli (G' and G'), the storage modulus response (ΔG’1000 V/mm), and the storage modulus sensitivity (ΔG’1000 V/mm/G’0) of the elastomers of different ethylene norbornene (ENB) contents and molecular weights were measured under electric field strengths varying from 0 V/mm to 1000 V/mm and at temperatures between 300 K and 380 K. The storage modulus response and sensitivity increase with increasing molecular weight and dielectric constant, consistent with the existing theory. However, for the case of EPDMs with different ENB contents, the storage modulus response and sensitivity vary inversely with the dielectric constant. EDPM is potentially a new type of electroactive materials.

Hydrogen Bonding in Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers:IR Thermal Analysis

The hydrogen bond percentage and its temperature dependence of the three TPU samples synthesized from polytetrahydrofuran, 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, N -methyl diethanol amine or 1,4-butane diol were studied by means of IR thermal analysis. The enthalpy and the entropy of the hydrogen bond dissociation were determined by the Van't Hoff plot.

A minimal model for the auxetic response of liquid crystal elastomers

We develop a minimal phenomenological model to describe the auxetic response recently observed in liquid crystal elastomers, and further determine by theoretical calculation the critical condition required for the auxetic response to occur.

High-Strength Carbon Materials and Elastomers on the Basis of Carbon-Silicon Nanocomposites

The processes for obtaining C-SiO2 and C-βSiC nanocomposites from the rice hulls have been studied. On the basis of these composites, some carbon materials and rubber products with the increased physical and mechanical properties have been obtained. The tensile strength of the carbon products with C-SiO2 is 92-96 MPa and with C-βSiC： 112-118 MPa in comparison with 70-80 MPa for standard products from artificial graphite. Nominal strength and resistance to tensile strain of the carbon material with C-SiO2 increase by 15%-20% as compared to the carbon material with carbon black.

Theoretical Estimation of Stability of Dielectric Elastomers

When dielectric elastomers sandwiched between compliant electrodes and high electric voltage is applied to the dielectric elastomers. Then due to the electrostatic force between the electrodes the elastomers expands in plane and contract out of plane so that it becomes thinner. As the thickness decreases we observe the increase in the applied electric voltage with the positive feedback effect. This positive feedback leads the electrical as well as mechanical breakdown of elastomer. By applying a mechanical pre-stretch the mechanical stability of dielectric elastomers gets also increased. In this paper, a new generalized set of strain/stretch variables qrN has been introduced to get the expression for second order elastic moduli for the ideal electro elastic material deformed to orthorhombic structure. The strength of a loaded crystal determined from the new moduli has been compared with the strength of classical (Green, Stretch) moduli. It has been observed that the use of incorrect formula by ignoring shear strain leads to incorrect estimation of stability. This problem has been resolved by considering stretch variable in tensor form as generally observed in the process of electrostriction in the elastomers.

Friction and Deformation Behavior of Elastomers

This research paper is about investigating the mechanisms of elastomeric friction at low velocities. To do so, different experimental setups were performed to analyze friction, adhesion and surface energy among others. The tested materials were EPDM samples with variations in the carbon black content. It was found, that at least for low velocities, the real contact area has the main impact on the friction of elastomers. This contact area seems to be highly influenced by the hardness or other bulk properties of the elastomers, which are modified by the varying carbon black content.

Synthesis and Properties of Chiral Polyurethane Elastomers Using Tartaric Acids

The polyaddition of isocyanate and polyol to form polyurethane elastomers has rarely been applied to the construction of chiral polyurethane elastomers. Hence, the introduction of chiral units via polyaddition remains a challenging subject in polymer chemistry. In this study, the synthesis of chiral polyurethane elastomers using an aromatic isocyanate, polyols (polyether and polyester polyols), and L(+)-, D(&#8722)-, or meso-tartaric acid by a one-shot method is investigated. The polymers are characterized using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, and their thermal properties are investigated by TGA, DMA, and DSC analyses. The optical activities of the polymers are confirmed by rotation. The use of chiral tartaric acids is essential to obtain the desired chiral polyurethane elastomers.

Effect of Cyclic Deformation on Magnetorheological Elastomers

Fatigue properties of magnetorheological elastomer （MRE） samples were investigated based on cis-polybutadiene rubber by using a fatigue test machine. Three MRE samples with iron particles mass fraction of 60%, 70%, and 80% were fabricated, and their properties dependence of three strain amplitudes （50%, 75%, and 100%） were measured. The absolute magnetorheological （MR） effect, storage modulus, and loss modulus of MRE samples after fatigue were evaluated by a modified dynamic mechanical analyzer. The results revealed that MR effect, storage modulus, and loss modulus of MREs containing 80% iron particles depended strongly on the strain amplitudes and the number of cycles, while storage mod-ulus and loss modulus of MREs containing 70% iron particles also depended on the strain amplitudes and the number of cycles but not as strongly as sample which contains 80% iron particles, but the properties of MREs containing 60% iron particles after cyclic deforma-tion were almost independent of the fatigued conditions. In order to investigate the fatigue mechanism of MREs, the sample was carried out with a quasi-static tensile testing and its surface morphology during testing was observed in situ by scanning electron microscopy.

Audia Elastomers为宠物玩具市场开发创新材料解决方案

随着人口结构的变化导致宠物主人和护理趋势的转变,安全耐用的宠物玩具市场继续增长。Audia Elastomers(位于华盛顿,宾夕法尼亚州)是一家全球创新弹性体材料解决方案供应商,帮助满足消费者对这一市场的需求。该公司为品牌拥有者提供高性能弹性体,提供兼具耐用性、撕裂强度、透明度和粘着力,适用于包括狗啃咬玩具和零食在内的一系列宠物玩具。美国宠物用品协会的数据显示,千禧一代在养宠物方面走在了前列,占所有宠物主人的35%。随着家庭规模的缩小.

Ionic Elastomers for Electric Actuators and Sensors

In the past decades,ion conductive polymers and elastomers have drawn worldwide attention for their advanced functions in batteries,electroactive soft robotics,and sensors.Stretchable ionic elastomers with dispersed soft ionic moieties such as ionic liquids have gained remarkable attention as soft sensors,in applications such as the wearable devices that are often called electric skins.A considerable amount of research has been done on ionic-elastomer-based strain,pressure,and shear sensors;however,to the best of our knowledge,this research has not yet been reviewed.In this review,we summarize the materials and performance properties of engineered ionic elastomer actuators and sensors.First,we review three classes of ionic elastomer actuators—namely,ionic polymer metal composites,ionic conducting polymers,and ionic polymer/carbon nanocomposites—and provide perspectives for future actuators,such as adaptive four-dimensional(4D)printed systems and ionic liquid crystal elastomers(iLCEs).Next,we review the state of the art of ionic elastomeric strain and pressure sensors.We also discuss future wearable strain sensors for biomechanical applications and sports performance tracking.Finally,we present the preliminary results of iLCE sensors based on flexoelectric signals and their amplification by integrating them with organic electrochemical transistors.

Radiation Vulcanization of Magnetorheological Elastomers Based on Silicone Rubber

The fabrication of magnetorheological （MR） elastomers was studied by two vulcanization methods, including heat vulcanization （HV） and radiation vulcanization （RV）, were employed to fabricate MRE samples. The dynamical mechanical properties were characterized by using a dynamic mechanic analyzer. In particular, both the MR effect and its durability were investigated. The experimental results showed that RV samples have large magnetoinduced modulus, large zero-field modulus, and good durability property of MR effect. To explain these results, cubic deformation and plasticizer migration were analyzed. Large magneto-induced modulus of RV sample results from cubic deformation during vulcanization process. And the plasticizer migration results in better durability of MR effect.