FOR 5599:  From production processes of structured magnetic elastomers to their macroscopic material behavior

• Subject Area: Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering ; Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 511114185

Magnetic gels and elastomers consist of magnetic colloidal particles embedded in a soft elastic carrier medium. Intriguing properties of these materials comprise magnetorheological effects, that is, magnetically induced changes in mechanical properties, and magnetostriction, that is, magnetically induced deformations. Various experimental and theoretical studies have shown that the inner structures given by the spatial arrangement of the magnetic particles in the elastic carrier medium significantly affect these phenomena. To pave the path for these promising materials towards actual applications, several steps are necessary. So far, inner structuring of magnetic elastomers during fabrication is mostly achieved using external magnetic fields. We need to understand and quantify the associated processes and dynamics on the particle scale. From there, we investigate how an adjusted process control can affect and guide the structure formation. At the same time, it is necessary to establish quantitative links between the resulting particulate structures and overall material behavior. Vice versa, we develop on this basis methods to identify particulate structures that maximize the desired macroscopic properties. In this way, we demonstrate the actual potential of these materials. We inspect whether corresponding structural elements can already be identified in real samples. In the mid to long term, we develop new ways of generating optimized systems of the requested overall behavior. To further ensure that magnetic elastomers will actually enter practical applications, we communicate their fascinating properties to a broader public. Pupils, students, and teachers represent a main target group. Therefore, on the one hand, we perform didactics research including the development and evaluation of suitable educational materials. On the other hand, we plan numerous outreach activities that we support by methods of didactics sciences. Thus, we intend to stimulate the general public’s interest for topics of current research and especially high-school students’ interest to study subjects of natural and engineering sciences. In order to address this interdisciplinary project, we combine numerous complementary methods and techniques, for example experimental investigations on different length scales, dynamic particle-resolved simulations, scale-bridging simulations, structural analyses, various methods of visualization, didactics research, and outreach activities. We build on broad expertise and successful previous works in these areas. Overall, we are deeply convinced by the importance of our objectives to achieve the advancement of these fascinating materials.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Japan

Projects

• Coordination Funds (Applicant Menzel, Andreas )
• Data-based scale-bridging simulation of structured magnetorheological elastomers (Applicant Kästner, Markus )
• Internal dynamics of magnetic particles during fabrication and magnetomechanical loading of structured magnetic elastomers – experimental studies (Applicant Auernhammer, Günter K. )
• Magnetically induced particle dynamics and particulate structure formation in viscous and viscoelastic media – theoretical-numerical investigations (Applicant Menzel, Andreas )
• Modeling the effect of authenticity and perceived complexity on situational interest, interest in scientific activities, and cognitive learning outcomes in the context of magnetic elastomers (Applicant Watzka, Bianca )
• Process-controlled fabrication of structured magnetic elastomers, x-ray tomographic structure analysis, and macroscopic magnetorheology (Applicant Odenbach, Stefan )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Andreas Menzel