Non-Settling Super-Strong Magnetorheological Fluids

A magnetorheological (MR) fluid is generally called a suspension in which magnetic particles are dispersed in a non-magnetic medium. When an external magnetic field is applied, a pseudo-phase transition occurs within a short time to generate yield stress, and when the magnetic field is released, it returns to the suspended state. Due to these unique characteristics, it is classified as a smart material to be widely applied in various industries. High performance MR fluids require high yield stress and stability for long-term use. However, it is very difficult to improve performance and stability simultaneously due to the limited amount of magnetic particles in the suspension and particle sedimentation caused by the density mismatch between the suspending particles and the liquid phase. In this study, an MR slurry is developed that is completely different from the MR suspension, starting from the opposite concept. An innovative non-settling (i.e., permanently stable) magnetorheological slurry is successfully created that exhibits unprecedented ultra-high yield stress. This result is expected to be a turning point for applying MR fluids to more diverse industries. In addition, a simple fitting equation expressing the yield stress as a function of the particle volume fraction is proposed.