Researchers have published a standardized materials dataset aimed at making magnetorheological elastomers easier to design into soft robots. The study tested 48 silicone-based formulations, including seven unfilled elastomers and 41 composites containing carbonyl iron, Fe–Si–Al flakes or magnetite.
Filler choice and concentration changed the balance between stiffness, stretchability and magnetic response. At 70% carbonyl-iron content, saturation polarization reached 1.42 tesla. Fe–Si–Al flakes produced the strongest reinforcement: at 30% loading, Young's modulus rose roughly 2.5- to 4-fold, although stretchability fell about two- to threefold. Carbonyl iron offered the strongest stiffness–ductility compromise, retaining elongation above 300% even at the highest loading.