The origin of the so called magnetostriction effect, i.e., the deformation of a soft magnetic elastomer (SME) in response to a uniform magnetic field is discussed. We note that up to now there exists a number of cases, where the theory is unable to explain the facts well established for real SMEs. In our view, the essential issue, formerly not adequately accounted for, is the type of structural short-range order in the magnetic microparticle assembly. Two-dimensional model problems are formulated and solved, which demonstrate the validity of the hypothesis.

The interaction between two particles made of an isotropic linearly polarizable magnetic material and embedded in an elastomer matrix is studied. In this case, when an external field is imposed, the magnetic attraction of the particles, contrary to point dipoles, is almost wraparound. The exact solution of the magnetic problem in the linear polarization case, although existing, is not practical; to circumvent its use, an interpolation formula is proposed. One more interpolation expression is developed for the resistance of the elastic matrix to the field-induced particle displacements. Minimization of the total energy of the pair reveals its configurational bistability in a certain field range. One of the possible equilibrium states corresponds to the particles dwelling at a distance, the other—to their collapse in a tight dimer. This mesoscopic bistability causes magnetomechanical hysteresis which has important implications for the macroscopic behavior of magnetorheological elastomers.

Field-induced magnetostatic interaction in a pair of identical particles made of a magnetically soft ferromagnet is studied. It is shown that due to saturation of the ferromagnet magnetization, this case differs significantly from the (super)paramagnetic one. A numerical solution is given, discussed, and compared with that provided by a simpler model (nonlinear mutual dipoles). We show that for multidomain ferromagnetic particles embedded in an elastomer matrix, as for paramagnetic ones in the same environment, pair clusters may form or break by a hysteresis scenario. However, the magnetization saturation brings in important features to this effect. First, the bistability state and the hysteresis take place only in a limited region of the material parameters of the system. Second, along with the hysteresis jumps occurring under the sole influence of the field, the “latent” hysteresis is possible which realizes only if the action of the field is combined with some additional (nonmagnetic) external factor. The obtained conditions, when used to assess the possibility of clustering in real magnetorheological polymers, infer an important role of mesoscopic magnetomechanical hysteresis for the macroscopic properties of these composites.

We analyze theoretically the field-induced microstructural deformations in a hybrid elastomer that consists of a polymer matrix filled with a mixture of magnetically soft and magnetically hard spherical microparticles.