Application Study of Magneto-Rheological Elastomer to Friction Control

Abstract

In this study, application feasibility of Magneto-rheological elastomer to friction control is investigated to identify the reciprocating friction and wear performance in applied magnetic field. Friction and wear of MR elastomerare measured by reciprocating tester by controlling the magnetic field. In the case of applied magnetic field, the coefficient of friction increases as both load and velocity increase. For the case of no magnetic field, the value of coefficient of friction hardly changes during the test. The amount of destruction is measured through cross section images of MR elastomer after tests. The depths of destruction are compared for MR elastomer with or without magnetic field. The results show that the depth of destruction of MR elastomer with magnetic field is deeper than without magnetic field. Based on the obtained results, optimal braking and driving performance can be achieved by controlling the coefficient of friction of MR elastomer, which can be applied to various industrial applications such as driving systems of automobiles and robots.