Friction and wear characteristics of magnetorheological elastomer under vibration conditions

• Friction coefficient and wear of MRE is examined under vibration conditions.
• Friction coefficient and wear depth of MRE decreased under a magnetic field condition both with and without vibration.
• The friction coefficient and wear depth of MRE increased as frequencies increased and decreased as amplitudes increased.
• When a magnetic field was applied, the Scallamach waves were less obvious than without a magnetic field.

In this study, the friction and wear properties of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) were examined under various vibration conditions. The variation of the friction coefficient and wear of the MRE was investigated experimentally with an applied magnetic field and different frequencies and amplitudes of normal vibration. To accomplish this, a reciprocating friction tester and test samples were designed and fabricated. The results show that the friction coefficient decreased with the magnetic field in all test conditions. The friction coefficient increased when vibration was applied and the frequencies were increased. The friction coefficient decreased as the amplitudes increased. The wear also significantly changes under different vibration frequencies and amplitudes with and without a magnetic field.