Numerical analysis of magnetorheological elastomer isolator response under oscillatory loading

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are field-responsive smart composites with tunable stiffness and damping properties, making them promising candidates for adaptive vibration isolation systems. This study presents a numerical investigation of the dynamic mechanical response of a carbonyl iron particle reinforced magnetorheological elastomer isolator under oscillatory loading. A finite element model was developed in ABAQUS to evaluate the stress, strain, displacement, reaction force, reaction moment, and energy response of the composite structure, while a theoretical magnetoelastic formulation was used to describe the coupled mechanical and magnetic behavior under incompressibility assumptions. The numerical results showed stable convergence and a consistent energy balance, confirming the reliability of the dynamic simulation. The internal core region was identified as the critical zone of deformation and stress concentration, with a maximum von Mises stress of 92.54 MPa and a maximum strain of 30.66%. Reaction force analysis showed that the dominant load transfer occurred in the axial direction, with Reaction Force (RF2) reaching 4.25 × 10⁵ N. The MATLAB-based validation further confirmed the consistency of the theoretical formulation for stretch ratio and pressure response. Overall, the results demonstrate that MRE-based isolators can provide stable load-bearing behavior, controlled deformation, and effective energy dissipation under dynamic loading, supporting their potential use in adaptive vibration-control applications.