Abstract
Switchable adhesives have the potential to improve the manufacturing and recycling of parts, and to enable new modes of motility for soft robots. Here, we demonstrate magnetically-switchable adhesion of a two-phase composite to non-magnetic objects. The composite's continuous phase is a silicone elastomer, and the dispersed phase is a magneto-rheological fluid. The composite is simple to prepare, and to mold into different shapes. When a magnetic field is applied, the magneto-rheological fluid develops a yield stress, which dramatically enhances the composite's adhesive properties. We demonstrate up to a nine-fold increase of the pull-off force of non-magnetic objects in the presence of a 250 mT field. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000417849Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Soft MatterVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Royal Society of ChemistryOrganisational unit
09573 - Dufresne, Eric (ehemalig) / Dufresne, Eric (former)
03997 - Heyderman, Laura / Heyderman, Laura
03997 - Heyderman, Laura / Heyderman, Laura
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