Magnetorheological shear thickening gel reinforced iron-nickel foam composites with tunable energy absorption performance

Magnetorheological(MR) shear thickening gel(MSTG) has excellent magnetically sensitive and rate-dependent properties, making it a promising candidate for buffering application. This study proposed a novel composite, namely MSTG reinforced iron-nickel foam(INF) composite(MSTG/INF), with adjustable energy absorption capacity and enhanced buffering performance. The buffering performance were investigated by quasi-static compression and drop-weight impact tests, and the physical mechanisms were thoroughly discussed. The results demonstrate that the MR effect and shear thickening behavior of MSTG enable regulable energy absorption and protective capability. In drop-weight impact tests, the energy absorption ratio of MSTG/INF exceeded 70.17%. Among them, the maximum deflection attenuation ratio of 60%-MSTG/INF sample was 25.38%, and the bending stiffness increased by 33.33% when the magnetic flux density increases from 0 to 0.1 T. These findings not only provide valuable insights into the utilization of MSTG/INF for buffering applications but also present an effective approach for the development of magnetically sensitive composites.