Atom transfer radical polymerized PMMA/magnetite nanocomposites and their magnetorheology

We synthesized core/shell-typed magnetic nanoparticle composites using poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a shell and magnetite nanoparticle (MN) as a core, in which the PMMA shell was prepared via atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. Chemical structure and morphology of the synthesized MN–PMMA nanocomposite were investigated using FT-IR and TEM, respectively. Magnetorheological (MR) fluid was prepared by dispersing synthesized MN–PMMA in non-magnetic medium. Both shear stress and shear viscosity of the MR fluids as a function of shear rate were measured using a rotational rheometer with a magnetic field generator, exhibiting that a yield stress increased with an external magnetic field strength.     

Xanthan gum-coated soft magnetic carbonyl iron composite particles and their magnetorheology

The dispersion stability of carbonyl iron (CI)-based magnetorheological (MR) fluid was improved by coating soft magnetic CI particles with an environmentally benign biopolymer of xanthan gum to reduce the density gap between the medium oil and dispersed particles. The sedimentation test of the MR fluid showed that the xanthan gum/CI composite particles improved the sedimentation drawback of the pristine CI-based MR fluid. The rheological properties of the MR fluid were also examined using a rotational rheometer to observe the typical MR characteristics, such as yield stress and shear viscosity.     

Fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotube-wrapped magnetic carbonyl iron microspheres and their magnetorheology

Magnetorheological (MR) properties and dispersion stability of magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) microspheres were examined and found to be enhanced by fabricating a dense nest composed of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the surface of CI particles in this study. The coating process is achieved by using 4-aminobenzoic acid as a grafting agent via self-assembly mechanism under sonication in which the MWCNTs were adopted as the coating material because MWCNTs possess similar density with polymer but better magnetic properties due to the iron catalyst originally included within the walls. The coating thickness and morphology of the MWCNTs nest were found to be related with the sonication duration. The influence of the coating layers on the magnetic properties and MR performance (yield stress behavior, shear viscosity) were examined using a vibrating sample magnetometer and rotational rheometer. Sedimentation rates of the fabricated MWCNT/CI suspension and pure CI suspension were also investigated.     

Nano-sized Fe soft-magnetic particle and its magnetorheology

As a new magnetoresponsive magnetorheological (MR) material under an applied magnetic field, magnetic Fe nanoparticles were synthesized from a simple process of thermal decomposition of pentacarbonyl iron using oleyl amine and kerosene at 150 °C. Morphology of the fabricated Fe nanoparticle was examined using both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. MR characteristics of the nano-sized magnetic particle-based MR fluid dispersed in non-magnetic carrier fluid was investigated using a rotational rheometer under different external magnetic field strengths, focusing on their flow behaviors at a steady shear mode and yield stress. Flow curve was also found to be fitted well with the Casson equation.     

Additive role of attapulgite nanoclay on carbonyl iron-based magnetorheological suspension

Attapulgite (ATP), a fibrous nanoclay mineral, was adopted as an additive in this study to improve the sedimentation problem of soft magnetic carbonyl iron (CI)-based magnetorheological (MR) fluids caused by the density mismatch between the CI particles and medium oil. The MR characteristics of the two MR fluid systems with and without ATP were measured and compared using a rotational rheometer under different magnetic field strengths. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that ATP filled the interspaces among the CI particles, explaining the improved dispersion stability of the MR fluid based on the Turbiscan sedimentation measurements. Despite the slight decrease in MR characteristics, the MR fluid with the additive exhibited the typical MR performance of an increase in shear stress in an applied magnetic field.     

Mesoscale constitutive modeling of magnetic dispersions: material functions for shear flows

We recently developed a constitutive model for magnetic dispersions by modeling the magnetic particles as rigid dumbbells dispersed in a solvent. The theory yielded a constitutive equation in which the stress tensor could be expressed as a function of the velocity gradient, an orientational order tensor, S, an average alignment vector, J, and any imposed external magnetic field, H. The constitutive equation is used here to predict material functions for steady shear flow (shear-rate dependent viscosity and first normal stress coefficient) as well as those for unsteady shear flows (stress growth upon inception of steady shear and small-amplitude oscillatory shear). The importance of effects of concentration, equilibrium nematic ordering in the dispersion, and anisotropy in the hydrodynamic drag are emphasized. Comparisons with available experimental data on viscosity for magnetic inks under steady shear flow and inception of steady shear flow show reasonably good agreement.     

Magnetorheology of soft magnetic carbonyl iron suspension with single-walled carbon nanotube additive and its yield stress scaling function

The serious dispersion problem of carbonyl iron (CI) based magnetorheological (MR) fluid, due to the large density mismatch between CI particles and continuous medium, has hampered its MR applications. To resolve this undesirable sedimentation, we introduced fibrous single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) into CI suspension as additives. The dynamic yield stress change measured as a function of magnetic field strength was examined by adopting a universal equation which was originally applied for electrorheological (ER) fluids. In addition, the viscoelastic performances of CI/SWNT suspension were compared to investigate the influence of additives on the pristine CI suspension. The sedimentation ratio was also examined to confirm the role of submicron SWNT bundles.     

Iron oxide/MCM-41 mesoporous nanocomposites and their magnetorheology

Mesoporous nanocomposite materials of magnetic iron oxide-containing MCM-41 (IO/MCM-41) were prepared by simple thermal oxidation of Fe-containing MCM-41 initially prepared by a direct synthesis route using Fe³⁺ salt. The magnetic saturation of the fabricated nanocomposite materials was measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer, while surface morphology and inner framework of the composite materials were studied using a field emission scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope to confirm their mesoporous nanocomposite formation. The fabricated magnetic materials were then adopted as a magnetorheological (MR) fluid, where the IO/MCM-41 magnetic nanocomposites were dispersed in a nonmagnetic medium oil in addition to as an additive for carbonyl iron-based MR fluid. Their MR properties of flow curve along with yield stress and viscoelastic properties under applied magnetic fields were investigated using a rotational rheometer.     

Ultrathin polydimethylsiloxane-coated carbonyl iron particles and their magnetorheological characteristics

An ultrathin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer with a mean thickness of 1 nm was coated on soft magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) particles by using a simple thermal evaporation process, and then their physical characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Magnetorheological (MR) fluid was prepared by using PDMS-coated CI powder, and its rheological behavior was investigated under different external magnetic field strengths using a rotational rheometer. The CI particles coated by a thin PDMS layer showed higher oxidation temperature than pristine CI particles and MR fluid consisting of PDMS-coated CI particles demonstrated better dispersion stability in a nonmagnetic carrier fluid.     

Steady flow and viscoelastic properties of lubricating grease containing various thickener concentrations

The flow and viscoelastic properties of a lubricating grease formed from a thickener composed of lithium hydroxystearate and a high-boiling-point mineral oil were investigated as a function of thickener concentration. The flow properties of grease were measured using continuous shear rheometry, while the viscoelastic properties were measured using oscillatory shear measurements. The flow properties show that grease is a shear-thinning fluid with a yield stress that increases with thickener concentration. At concentrations of lithium hydroxystearate greater than 5% by volume, the storage modulus, G', was found to be greater than the loss modulus, G", with both moduli increasing with increasing thickener concentration, below this critical concentration G" was greater than G'. Slip at the wall of the measuring platens was a major problem encountered during the rheological measurement of grease, this is hardly surprising, and greases are designed to slip in their lubricating functions. Therefore the measuring platens were roughened by sandblasting and significantly higher yield values were recorded with the roughened geometries. Creep experiments were also performed. In the creep test, yield stresses of greases could be obtained. Zero shear viscosity was also calculated from the creep experiment and as a result viscosities over nine orders of magnitude were obtained. The power law index of the scaling law of the elastic modulus and yield stress with increasing volume fraction was found to be 4.7+/-0.2 suggesting that the flocculation of the particles that compose the grease is likely to be of the chemically limited aggregation variety.     

酞菁钴/铁纳米填充母粒组成的磁流变液性能

采用有机/无机原位（insitu）复合方法制备得出酞菁钴/铁纳米填充母粒,与甲基硅油组成磁流变液（MRS）。MRS的附加动态剪切应力（Δτ)与分散介质浓度、外加磁场强度呈正比例关系;剪切速率对Δτ的影响表明磁致流变为链状结构特征;Δτ对温度不敏感;MRS对外加磁场有可逆的开/关变化特征,无记忆效应,磁流变响应时间小于0.1s。     

Colloids on the frontier of ferrofluids. Rheological properties

This paper is devoted to the steady-state rheological properties of two new kinds of ferrofluids. One of these was constituted by CoNi nanospheres of 24 nm in diameter, whereas the other by CoNi nanofibers of 56 nm in length and 6.6 nm in width. These ferrofluids were subjected to shear rate ramps under the presence of magnetic fields of different intensity, and the corresponding shear stress values were measured. From the obtained rheograms (shear stress vs shear rate curves) the values of both the static and the dynamic yield stresses were obtained as a function of the magnetic field. The magnetoviscous effect was also obtained as a function of both the shear rate and the magnetic field. The experimental results demonstrate that upon magnetic field application these new ferrofluids develop yield stresses and magnetoviscous effects much greater than those of conventional ferrofluids, based on nanospheres of approximately 10 nm in diameter. Besides some expected differences, such as the stronger magnetorheological effect in the case of ferrofluids based on nanofibers, some intriguing differences are found between the rheological behaviors of nanofiber ferrofluids and nanosphere ferrofluid. First, upon field application the rheograms of nanofiber ferrofluids present N-shaped dependence of the shear stress on the shear rate. The decreasing part of the rheograms takes place at low shear rate. These regions of negative differential viscosity, and therefore, unstable flow is not observed in the case of nanosphere ferrofluids. The second intriguing difference concerns the curvature of the yield stress vs magnetic field curves. This curvature is negative in the case of nanosphere ferrofluid, giving rise to saturation of the yield stress at medium field, as expected. However, in the case of nanofiber ferrofluid this curvature is positive, which means a faster increase of the yield stress with the magnetic field the higher the magnitude of the latter. These interesting differences may be due to the existence of strong interparticle solid friction in the case of nanofiber ferrofluids. Finally, theoretical models for the static yield stress of the ferrofluids were developed. These models consider that upon field application the ferrofluid nanoparticles are condensed in drops of dense phase. These drops tend to be aligned along the field direction, opposing the flow of the ferrofluids and being responsible for the static quasielastic deformation and the yield-stress phenomena. By considering the existence of interparticle dry friction only in the case of nanofiber ferrofluids, the developed models predicted quite well not only the magnitude of the static yield stress but also the differences in curvature of the yield stress vs magnetic field curves.     

Magnetorheological characteristics of aqueous suspensions that contain Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles

This investigation examines the magnetorheological (MR) characteristics of Fe₃O₄ aqueous suspensions. Magnetite particles (Fe₃O₄) were synthesized using a colloidal process and their sizes were determined to be normally distributed with an average of 10 nm by TEM. Experimental results reveal that the MR effect increases with the magnetic field and suspension concentration. The yield stress increases by up to two orders of magnitude when the sample is subjected to a magnetic field of 146 Oe/mm. In comparison with other published results, concerning a concentration of approximately 10–15% v/v, this study demonstrates that the same increase can be obtained with a concentration of nano-scale particles as low as 0.04% by volume. The viscosity was increased by an order of magnitude while the shear rate remained low; however, the increase decayed rapidly as the shear rate was raised. Finally, the MR effect caused by DC outperformed that caused by AC at the same current.     

The effect of a magnetic field on the rheological properties of iron-aerosil-glycerol suspensions

The viscosity of a suspension consisting of iron nanoparticles, aerosil, and glycerol has been studied under the conditions of a rotational flow in the presence and absence of a magnetic field. At low shear rates, the viscosity is governed by the magnetic field and increases 40 times with a rise in the field strength; at high shear rates, the effect of the mechanical stress field prevails. In this case, the relative viscosity increases by 1.4 times, and its concentration dependence in the magnetic field is described by a curve passing through a maximum.     

Transport coefficients and orientational distributions of spheroidal particles with magnetic moment normal to the particle axis (Analysis for an applied magnetic field normal to the shear plane)

We have investigated the influence of the magnetic field strength, shear rate, and rotational Brownian motion on transport coefficients such as viscosity and diffusion coefficient, and also on the orientational distributions of rodlike particles of a dilute colloidal dispersion. The rodlike particle is modeled as a magnetic spheroidal particle which has a magnetic moment normal to the particle axis; such a particle may typically be a hematite particle. In the present study, an external magnetic field is applied in the direction normal to the shear plane of a simple shear flow. The basic equation of the orientational distribution function has been derived from the balance of torques and solved numerically. The results obtained here are summarized as follows. Although the orientational distribution function shows a sharp peak in the shear flow direction for a very strong magnetic field, such a peak is not restricted to the field direction alone, but continues in every direction of the shear plane. This is due to the characteristic particle motion that the particle can rotate around the axis of the magnetic moment in the shear plane, although the magnetic moment nearly points to the magnetic field direction. This particle motion in the shear plane causes negative values of the viscosity due to the magnetic field. The viscosity decreases, attains a minimum value, and then converges to zero as the field strength increases. Additionally, the diffusion coefficient is significantly influenced by such characteristic particle motion in the shear plane for a strong magnetic field.     

Enhancement of magnetic resonance contrast effect using ionic magnetic clusters

Precise diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires sensitive magnetic resonance probes to detect low concentrations of magnetic substances. Ionic magnetic clusters (IMCs) as versatile magnetic probes were successfully synthesized for enhancing the magnetic resonance (MR) contrast effect as well as ensuring high water solubility. IMCs with various sizes were prepared by assembly of MNCs using cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). To synthesize IMCs in the aqueous phase, magnetic nanocrystals in an organic solvent were assembled with CTAB and SDS using the nanoemulsion method, to fabricate cationic magnetic clusters (CMCs) and anionic magnetic clusters (AMCs), respectively. IMCs demonstrated ultrasensitivity by MR imaging and sufficient magnetic mobility under an external magnetic field.     

Dependence of the viscosity coefficients of magnetic fluids on parameters of state

Dependences of the viscosity coefficients of magnetic fluids on parameters of state were investigated numerically using previously derived dynamic equations. It was shown that the volume viscosity and shear viscosity coefficients of a magnetic fluid based on kerosene increase with increasing density and concentration and decrease with increasing temperature; the coefficients increase with an increase in the magnetic field gradient. The results obtained are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.     

Transport coefficients and orientational distributions of rodlike particles with magnetic moment normal to the particle axis under circumstances of a simple shear flow

We have investigated the influences of the magnetic field strength, shear rate, and random forces on transport coefficients such as viscosity and diffusion coefficient, and also on the orientational distributions of rodlike particles of a dilute colloidal dispersion. This dispersion is composed of ferromagnetic spheroidal particles with a magnetic moment normal to the particle axis. In the present analysis, these spheroidal particles are assumed to conduct the rotational Brownian motion in a simple shear flow as well as an external magnetic field. The basic equation of the orientational distribution function has been derived from the balance of the torques and solved numerically. The results obtained here are summarized as follows. For a very strong magnetic field, the rodlike particle is significantly restricted in the field direction, so that the particle points to a direction normal to the flow direction (and also to the magnetic field direction). However, the present particle does not exhibit a strong directional characteristic, which is one of the typical properties for the previous particle with a magnetic moment parallel to the particle axis. That is, the particle can rotate around the axis of the magnetic moment, although the magnetic moment nearly points to the field direction. The viscosity significantly increases with the field strength, as in the previous particle model. The particle of a larger aspect ratio leads to the larger increase in the viscosity, since such elongated particles induce larger resistance in a flow field. The diffusion coefficient under circumstances of an applied magnetic field is in reasonable agreement between theoretical and experimental results.     

Large-strain behaviour of Magneto-Rheological Elastomers tested under uniaxial compression and tension,and pure shear deformations

The large-strain behaviour of Magneto-Rheological Elastomers (MREs) is characterised experimentally under uniaxial compression, uniaxial tension and pure shear deformation, in the absence and in the presence of magnetic fields. MREs are ‘smart’ materials that can alter their properties instantaneously by the application of external stimuli. They hold great potential for use in adaptive stiffness devices. So far, the large-strain behaviour of MREs has not been well explored, and their behaviour under pure shear deformation has not been characterised. Tests on silicone rubber based isotropic and anisotropic MREs, with and without the application of an external magnetic field have been performed in this investigation. The MR effect, defined as the increase in tangent moduli, is studied versus large engineering strain. Strains were measured optically using a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system. Relative MR effects up to 284% were found under uniaxial tension, when a magnetic field strength of 290 mT was applied with the loading direction parallel to the direction of particle alignment.     

Core–shell-structured silica-coated magnetic carbonyl iron microbead and its magnetorheology with anti-acidic characteristics

We synthesized silica-coated soft magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) particles through a modified Stöber method, in which the CI particles were pretreated with a grafting agent to enhance the affinity of a precursor of silica. Synthesized magnetic microbeads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and anti-acid test in HCl solution. Silica-coated CI shows not only improved wettability to silicone oil with a lower off-state shear viscosity as a better magnetorheological fluid under an applied magnetic field but also enhanced anti-acidic property.