Development of a Measurement Setup for Surface Characterization of Magnetoactive Elastomers

Magnetoactive elastomers are materials in which magnetic particles are embedded in their polymer matrix. Their special mechanical and electrical properties under the influence of a magnetic field are characteristic. In this work, a measurement setup was developed using a laser distance sensor and a table that can be moved in the plane, on which a test sample can be placed. Furthermore, software was developed to automate the measurement process. In addition to moving the measurement points on the surface, this also automates the acquisition, visualization, and storage of the measured values. A user interface allows the experimenter to set important parameters and start and stop the measurement process. The developed measurement setup is used to examine samples of magnetoactive elastomers for their surface structure. The data obtained are evaluated using common parameters from materials science. Furthermore, measurements were performed to determine the thickness differences in individual MAE samples.