Magneto-sensitive elastomers are obtained by adding irregularly-shaped micron-sized iron particles to a rubber compound before vulcanization, a mixture that changes its properties when a magnetic field is applied. Vibration isolators consisting of magneto-sensitive elastomers promise to have more functionality than conventional isolators as they can change their dynamic stiffness rapidly, continuously and reversibly under the application of an external magnetic field. An application case of magneto-sensitive elastomers in vibration control is presented in this paper. The dynamic behaviour of an aluminium block mounted upon four magneto-sensitive rubber samples is investigated. Experimental measurements show that the dynamic stiffness of magneto-sensitive rubber samples increases about 30% when applying a magnetic field, what causes a shift of 15-20Hz in the natural frequencies of the suspended mass. The optimal isolation has been obtained experimentally turning on and off the magnetic field in order to avoid the resonance peaks.
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