Magnetically controlled friction behavior of iron-foam-reinforced magnetorheological elastomers

초록

To address the low stiffness and limited friction tunability of conventional magnetorheological elastomers, this study proposes an iron-foam-reinforced magnetorheological elastomer (IF-MRE) created by embedding porous iron foam particles (IFPs) into a polydimethylsiloxane matrix. A coupled theoretical framework is developed by integrating a double-inclusion micromechanical model, a mechanism for magnetically enhanced dipolar interactions, and a viscoelastic interfacial friction model. Comprehensive tribological experiments involving compression, shear, and sliding were conducted under varying IFP volume fractions, pore sizes, and magnetic field intensities to validate the theoretical predictions. The results indicate that IFP incorporation increased the initial modulus from 1.92 to 4.36 MPa and the field-induced modulus from 2.88 to 5.43 MPa, while enhancing the magnetorheological effect from 198.9% to 263.4%. Consequently, the tunable friction ratio increased from 20% to 34%, attributed to structural reinforcement and magnetic flux concentration effects enabled by the high-permeability iron foam. The synergistic interaction between load-bearing enhancement and field-induced modulation reveals a unique multiscale coordination mechanism in IF-MREs. This study advances the fundamental understanding of magnetically responsive friction behavior and provides a practical pathway for designing intelligent friction-control materials, with potential applications in water-lubricated bearings and adaptive damping systems in marine and aerospace engineering. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd.

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