Magnetomechanical behavior of soft magnetoactive membranes

Abstract Soft magnetic membrane (SMM) is regarded as a potentially functional component in soft intelligent sensors, biomedical and robotic applications. In this study, SMMs composed of carbonyl iron powders (CIPs) (10 vol%–30 vol%) and ECOFLEX-0030 matrix are fabricated and placed in the magnetic field that is generated by a cylindrical neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet. In order to investigate the magnetomechanical response of SMMs, a simple but effective model is constructed. The predictions by the model agree remarkably well with the experimental observations. Based on the results in the present work, the SMM with 15 vol% inclusion possesses the largest deformability. The maximum stretch ratio in all the cases does not exceed 1.1, which indicates that the stress–strain relation is in the linear range, though the overall deformation is non-linear due to rotation. The versatility of the proposed model provides a convenient tool in the design of SMM driving devices.