This proposal describes a research effort to develop and understand an innovative-coupled hybrid magneto-mechanical composite material. The composite represents a magnetostrictive (active) material that elastically deforms when subjected to an external magnetic field. It contains a blend of both magnetostrictive and hard/soft ferromagnetic particles with a binder resin and it is cured under a spatially variant magnetic field. The magnetic field applied during cure aligns the particulates into continuous chains and forms a continuous magnetic circuit within the material. The hard/soft ferromagnetic particles enhance the magnetic properties of the composite and directly influence magnetostriction. One of the primary basic science questions is to what extent does magnetic interaction between dissimilar particles contribute to altering the internal magnetic circuit. The Hybrid-Magnetostrictive-Particulate-Composite (HMPC) provides several advantages when compared to the monolithic magnetostrictive materials including increased fracture toughness, reduced hysteresis, larger bandwidth response, elimination of external biasing and preloading, and possibly decreased drive levels.
