On the viscosity of magnetic fluid with low and moderate solid fraction

The design of a pressurized capillary rheometer operating at prescribed temperature is described to measure the viscosity of magnetic fluids （MFs） containing Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles （MNPs）. The equipment constant of the rheometer was obtained using liquids with predetermined viscosities. Experimentally measured viscosities were used to evaluate different equations for suspension viscosities. Deviation of measured suspension viscosities from the Einstein equation was found to be basically due to the influence of spatial distribution and aggregation of Fe3O4 MNPs. By taking account of the coating layer on MNPs and the aggregation of MNPs in MFs, a modified Einstein equation was proposed to fit the experimental data. Moreover, the influence of external magnetic field on viscosity was also taken into account. Viscosities thus predicted are in good agreement with experimental data. Temperature effect on suspension viscosity was shown experimentally to be due to the shear-thinning behavior of the MFs.     

Preparation and characterization of carbonyl iron/strontium hexaferrite magnetorheological fluids

The heat transfer oil-based magnetorheological fluid (MRF) was prepared using oleic acid-modified micron carbonyl iron powder as a magnetic dispersed phase and strontium hexaferrite (SrFe₁₂O₁₉) nanoparticles as an additive. The sedimentation stability of MRFs was studied. The results indicated that the stability of MRFs was improved remarkably by adding SrFe₁₂O₁₉ nanoparticles and the sedimentation ratio was only 0.88 in 20 days when the content of nanoparticles reached 10 wt%. The rheological properties were characterized by a HAAKE rheometer without a magnetic field and a capillary rheometer with and without a magnetic field. The effects of SrFe₁₂O₁₉ nanoparticles, the temperature, and magnetic field strength were investigated. In addition, the rheological properties could be predicted well using the improved Herschel–Bulkley model, even under a magnetic field. A theoretical model was also proposed to predict the yield stress based on the microstructure of the MRF under an applied magnetic field.     

Hollow spherical titanium dioxide nanoparticles for energy and environmental applications

Hollow spherical titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles possess unique properties toward energy and environmental applications, because of the intrinsic properties of TiO₂ and benefits induced by their hollow structure. A detailed understanding of TiO₂ hollow spheres will promote their use in sustainable energy and environmental applications. This perspective details current methods for synthesizing hollow spherical TiO₂ nanoparticles, and their performance in dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalysts, and batteries. This perspective will promote the design and innovative thinking on the application of hollow spherical metal oxide nanoparticles.     

Continuous synthesis of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles via thermal decomposition

Iron oxide nanoparticles have become of great interest in the medical field for their potential uses in areas such as biomagnetic imaging and hypothermia cancer treatment. Traditionally, particles for these applications are produced through batch-based methodologies. Herein, we demonstrate an alternative continuous flow production method for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ iron oxide nanoparticles. Advantages of continuous flow over the batch method include consistent formation of uniformly spherical particles, thorough mixing of reactants, and capacity for high-volume particle production. In this study, a continuous flow reaction mechanism was proposed in which stoichiometric control of reactants had the potential to control final particle size. The project was conducted under the supposition that the iron oleate/ligand ratio in the precursor was the greatest size control factor, with a higher ratio resulting in smaller particles. The resulting particles produced by this continuous method were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and magnetometry.     

Yield stress and flow behavior of concentrated ferrofluid-based magnetorheological fluids: the influence of composition

In this paper, the magnetorheological (MR) and magnetoviscous properties of ferrofluid-based iron particle suspensions were investigated. The 2.1-µm mean size Fe particles were dispersed in high-concentration transformer oil-based ferrofluid, the iron particle volume fraction in the resulting nano-micro composite magnetorheological fluid samples varying from Φ _Fe = 5 to 40 %. The ferrofluid carrier has φ _p = 23 % solid volume fraction of magnetic nanoparticles stabilized with chemisorbed oleic acid monolayer and without any excess surfactant. In the absence of the field, the ferrofluid has a quasi-Newtonian behavior with a weak shear thinning tendency. The static yield stress shows an increase of about 3 orders of magnitude for an iron particle content of approx. Φ _Fe = 25 % (Φ _tot = 42.25 %), while above this value, a saturation tendency is observed. The dynamic yield stress (Bingham model) also increases with the magnetic induction and the particle volume fraction; however, the saturation of the MR effect is less pronounced. The relative viscosity change has a maximum at Φ _Fe = (10–15) % due to the accelerated increase of the effective viscosity of the composite for higher Fe content. Addition of micrometer-sized iron particles to a concentrated ferrofluid without any supplementary stabilizing agent proved to be a direct and simple way to control the magnetorheological and magnetoviscous behavior, as well as the saturation magnetization of the resulting nano-micro composite fluid to fulfill the requirements of their use in various MR control and rotating seal devices.     

Controlled synthesis of hollow magnetic Fe3O4 nanospheres: Effect of the cooling rate

The controlled synthesis of hollow magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanospheres of varying sizes and structures was successfully obtained via a facile solvothermal process and varying cooling processes. The Fe₃O₄ nanospheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry. The diameters of the as-synthesized nanospheres were controlled at around 500–700 nm by simply changing the cooling rate, which had an obvious influence on the morphology and magnetic properties of these Fe₃O₄ nanospheres. While a low cooling rate triggered the formation and extension of the cracks present in the Fe₃O₄ nanospheres, a sudden drop of temperature tended to favor multi-site nucleation of the crystals as well as the formation of compact and smooth hollow nanospheres with superior crystallinity and high saturation magnetization. The growth mechanism of hollow magnetite oxide nanospheres was proposed and the correlation between the structure and the magnetic properties of the hollow nanospheres was discussed, which promises the potential of the hollow nanospheres in various applications such as drug delivery and cell separation.     

Nanofluid flow and heat transfer due to a stretching cylinder in the presence of magnetic field

In this paper, flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid over a stretching cylinder in the presence of magnetic field has been investigated. The governing partial differential equations with the corresponding boundary conditions are reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations with the appropriate boundary conditions using similarity transformation, which is then solved numerically by the fourth order Runge–Kutta integration scheme featuring a shooting technique. Different types of nanoparticles as copper (Cu), silver (Ag), alumina (Al₂O₃) and titanium oxide (TiO₂) with water as their base fluid has been considered. The influence of significant parameters such as nanoparticle volume fraction, nanofluids type, magnetic parameter and Reynolds number on the flow and heat transfer characteristics is discussed. It was found that the Nusselt number increases as each of Reynolds number or nanoparticles volume fraction increase, but it decreases as magnetic parameter increase. Also it can be found that choosing copper (for small of magnetic parameter) and alumina (for large values of magnetic parameter) leads to the highest cooling performance for this problem.     

Metallic iron nanoparticles: Flame synthesis,characterization and magnetic properties

Metallic iron (Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) with a typical core–shell structure have been prepared by a simple and continuous flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) method, which are stabilized by the corresponding Fe₃O₄ shell with a thickness of 4–6 nm. The size of metallic Fe cores is about 30–80 nm. The core–shell structured iron NPs show an air stability as long as one month as a result of the protection of oxide shell. Through the control of the residence time of materials in flame and flame atmosphere, metallic Fe and iron oxides are obtained, showing a better external magnetic field responsibility. It is concluded that the evolution of morphology and composition of flame-made magnetic NPs could be attributed to the competition mechanism between reduction and oxidation reactions of in situ flame combustion, which offers more choices and better effective design strategy for the synthesis of advanced functional materials via FSP techniques.     

Hydrothermal growth of octahedral Fe3O4 crystals

This paper reports the growth of octahedral magnetic Fe3O4 particles from iron powders via a simple alkaline hydrothermal process. The chemical compositions and morphologies of the as-grown Fe3O4 particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectra （XPS）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Structure characterization showed that the phase structure of the prepared particles evolved from α-Fe to pure Fe3O4 with increasing concentration of KOH, indicating the important role of KOH concentration on the formation of the magnetite octahedron. The magnetic properties of samples were also studied by means of a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. The pure magnetite Fe3O4 octahedrons exhibited a relatively high saturation magnetization of 96.7 emu/g.     

MHD mixed convection stagnation-point flow of a nanofluid over a vertical permeable surface: a comprehensive report of dual solutions

The steady laminar magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection boundary layer flow of a nanofluid near the stagnation-point on a vertical permeable plate with prescribed external flow and surface temperature is investigated in this study. Here, both assisting and opposing flows are considered and studied. Using appropriate similarity variables, the governing equations are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations in the dimensionless stream function, which is solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta scheme coupled with a conventional shooting procedure. Three different types of nanoparticles, namely copper Cu, alumina Al₂O₃ and titania TiO₂ with water as the base fluid are considered. Numerical results are obtained for the skin-friction coefficient and Nusselt number as well as for the velocity and temperature profiles for some values of the governing parameters, namely, the volume fraction of nanoparticles ?, permeability parameter f _o , magnetic parameter M and mixed convection parameter λ. It is found that dual solutions exist for both assisting and opposing flows, and the range of the mixed convection parameter for which the solution exists, increases with suction, magnetic field and volume fraction of nanoparticles.     

Steady laminar mixed convection stagnation-point flow of a nanofluid over a vertical permeable surface in the presence of a magnetic field

A similarity solution for a steady laminar mixed convection boundary layer flow of a nanofluid near the stagnation point on a vertical permeable plate with a magnetic field and a buoyancy force is obtained by solving a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. These equations are solved analytically by using a new kind of a powerful analytic technique for nonlinear problems, namely, the homotopy analysis method (HAM). Three different types of nanoparticles, namely, copper (Cu), alumina (Al₂O₃), and titanium oxide (TiO₂), with water as the base fluid are considered. The influence of the volume fraction of nanoparticles, permeability parameter, magnetic parameter, and mixed convection parameter on the surface shear stress and surface heat transfer, as well as on the velocity and temperature profiles, is considered. It is observed that the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number increase with the nanoparticle volume fraction for all types of nanoparticles considered in this study. The greatest values of the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are obtained for Cu nanoparticles.     

Wave band gaps in two-dimensional piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystals

In this paper, the elastic wave propagation in phononic crystals with piezoelectric and piezomagnetic inclusions is investigated taking the magneto-electro-elastic coupling into account. The electric and magnetic fields are approximated as quasi-static. The band structures of three kinds of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic phononic crystals—CoFe₂O₄/quartz, BaTiO₃/CoFe₂O₄ and BaTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄/polymer periodic composites are calculated using the plane-wave expansion method. The piezoelectric and piezomagnetic effects on the band structures are analyzed. The numerical results show that in CoFe₂O₄/quartz structures, only one narrow band gap exists along the Γ–X direction for the coupling of xy-mode and z-mode for the filling fraction f being 0.4; while in BaTiO₃/CoFe₂O₄ composites, only one narrow band gap exists along the Γ–X direction forxy-mode and no band gap exists for z-mode as the filling friction f is 0.5. Moreover, for the new type of magneto-electro-elastic phononic crystal—BaTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄/polymer periodic composite, the band gap characteristics are more superior in the whole considered frequency regions due to the big contrast of the material properties in the two constituents and the effects of the piezoelectricity and piezomagneticity on the band gap structures are remarkable.     

Magnetic and electrochemical behavior of rhombohedral α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with (1 0 4) dominant facets

Uniform rhombohedral α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, ～60 nm in size, were synthesized via a triphenylphosphine-assisted hydrothermal method. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and transmission electron micrograph (TEM) analyses showed that the as-synthesized rhombohedral nanoparticles were enclosed by six (1 0 4) planes. The concentration of triphenylphosphine played an important role in morphological evolution of the α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The as-prepared rhombohedral nanoparticles possessed remanent magnetization M_r of 2.6 × 10^?3 emu/g and coercivity H_C of 2.05 Oe, both lower than those of other α-Fe₂O₃ particles with similar size, indicating their potential applications as superparamagnetic precursor materials. Furthermore, these rhombohedral α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited good sensor capability toward H₂O₂ with a linear response in the concentration range of 2–20 mM.     

Ultrapermeable membranes based on connected cluster of hollow polydimethylsiloxane nanoparticles for gas separation

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) with the performance between the matrix and the filler is a promising strategy for membranes with excellent gas permeability-selectivity. In this study, the hollow polydimethylsiloxane nanoparticles were synthesized and then incorporated with the poly(oxide ethylene) monomer and tri-functional cross-linker to form mixed matrix membranes by in situ polymerization. The hollow nanoparticles formed the independent closed nanocavities in membranes, which enhanced the gas permeability contributed by both the improved diffusivity and solubility. At high loading, the hollow polydimethylsiloxane nanoparticle was converted into the continuous phase with the cross-linked poly(oxide ethylene) as the dispersed phase. Gases preferred to permeate through the connected cluster of hollow polydimethylsiloxane nanoparticles, finally leading to ultrahigh gas permeabilities far going beyond the instinct values of polydimethylsiloxane and the cross-linked poly(oxide ethylene). The optimized membrane with 34 wt% hollow nanoparticles loadings exhibited ultrahigh permeabilities with the values of 44186 Barrer for CO₂ and 11506 Barrer for O₂, accompanied with a CO₂/N₂ selectivity of 9.9 and an O₂/N₂ selectivity of 2.6, which exceeded the 2008 Robeson upper bound for O₂/N₂ and located at the 2008 Robeson upper bound for CO₂/N₂.     

Rigid biological composite materials: Structural examples for biomimetic design

Biological hard tissues are composites of inorganics and biopolymers, and, therefore, represent hybrid systems. The inorganic components may be oxides (e.g., SiO₂, Fe₃O₄), carbonates (e.g., CaCO₃) sulfides (e.g., FeS, CdS), or others, mostly in crystalline forms but also occasionally in glassy forms. The biopolymer is often proteinaceous, but can also involve lipids and especially polysaccharides (e.g., chitin). These hybrid materials can be found in single celled organisms (such as bacteria and protozoa), invertebrates (such as mollusks), insects (such as beetles), and vertebrates (such as mammals). A common denominator of all hard tissues is that they are hierarchically structured from the nanometer scale to the microscale and the macroscale. It is these controlled structures that give biological hard tissues their unique and highly evolved functional properties. The engineering properties include mechanical, piezoelectric, optical, and magnetic. The hard tissues can be in the form of nanoparticles, spines, spicules, skeletons, and shells. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate mechanical aspects of some of these hard tissues, to discuss their structure-function relationships (with examples from the literature as well as from our research), and to reveal their potential utility in materials science and engineering applications.     

Upcycling tea waste particles into magnetic adsorbent materials for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions

In this work, locally available tea wastes were used as precursors for the development of cost-effective bio-sorbent materials for heavy metal removal from wastewater. Chemical and thermal treatments to prepare magnetic/non-magnetic tea waste-based adsorbents were discussed and correlated their properties with corresponding Cr(VI) adsorption capacity. These bio-sorbents were thoroughly characterized by FT-IR, PXRD, N₂ adsorption-desorption surface area techniques and Cr adsorption performance was investigated in batch reactor under different conditions such as adsorbent dosage, initial Cr concentration, solution pH and contact time. Careful bleaching steps, incorporation of magnetic iron nanoparticles and judicious temperature treatments of tea wastes resulted in high performing biosorbents with a complete removal of Cr at a dosage of 0.25 g/mL of the solution. Cr adsorption on these tea waste-based bio-sorbents were found to be fitting to a pseudo 2nd order kinetics.     

Synthesis of mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe3O4 magnetic nanomicrospheres

Mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanomicrospheres were synthesized using superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as the core and aluminum isopropoxide (AIP) as the aluminum source. The obtained magnetic nanomicrospheres were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N₂ adsorption–desorption and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The effects of preparation parameters such as hydrolysis time of AIP, concentration of AIP and coating layer number on microspheres were investigated. The results indicated that the mesoporous γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanomicrospheres consisted of a mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell and a Fe₃O₄ magnetic core. The diameter of γ-AlOOH@Fe₃O₄ nanomicrospheres was about 200 nm, the thickness of mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell was about 5 nm and the average pore size was 3.8 nm. The thickness of the mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell could be controlled via layer-by-layer coating times. The formation mechanism of the mesoporous γ-AlOOH shell involved a “chemisorption–hydrolysis” process.     

Magnetic nanoparticles and concentrated magnetic nanofluids： Synthesis, properties and some applications

This paper reviews some recent results concerning chemical synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and preparation of various types of magnetic nanofluids. Structural properties and behaviour in external magnetic field of magnetic nanofluids will be emphasized with relation to their use in leakage-free rotating seals and in biomedical applications.     

新型含噻二唑有机硼酸酯在锂基脂中的极压抗磨性能及作用机理研究

合成了两种含噻二唑有机硼酸酯添加剂,利用元素分析、红外光谱和质谱对分子结构进行了表征.对两种化合物的热稳定性进行了考察,发现其具有良好的热稳定性.利用四球式摩擦磨损试验机考察了化合物作为锂基润滑脂添加剂的摩擦磨损性能,结果表明:这两种杂环硼酸酯添加剂能大幅度提高锂基润滑脂的承载能力,并具有良好的抗磨减摩性能,是一类性能优异的新型高效润滑脂添加剂.采用软X射线吸收精细结构光谱(XANES)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对这两种添加剂的摩擦学机理进行了初步探讨,结果显示钢球磨损表面形成了含氧化硼、铁的硫化物、铁的氧化物、硫酸亚铁以及有机含氮络合物等多组分的混合边界润滑膜,从而使润滑剂的极压性能和抗磨性能得到明显的改善.     

Thermal transport in spin ice

In order to analyse low temperature heat transport in the spin ice compound Dy₂Ti₂O₇, we derive thermodynamic field equations that are based on the kinetic theory of phonons and their interaction with localised magnetic excitations. It is shown that the solution of the derived field equations for given boundary and initial values of heat-pulse experiments well describes all measured temperature profiles recorded in the temperature range from 0.3 to 15?K and in magnetic fields up to 1.5?T. The evaluated temperature and field dependencies of both the specific heat contributions and their corresponding relaxation times indicate that the magnetic excitations above the ground-state manifold of the spin ice compound Dy₂Ti₂O₇ take the form of magnetic monopoles.