Searching for a Stable High-Performance Magnetorheological Suspension

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are a type of smart material with rheological properties that may be controlled through mesostructural transformations. MR fluids form solid-like fibril structures along the magnetic field direction upon application of a magnetic field due to magnetopolarization of soft-magnetic particles when suspended in an inert medium. A reverse structural transition occurs upon removal of the applied field. The structural changes are very fast on the order of milliseconds. The rheological properties of MR fluids vary with the application of a magnetic field, resulting in non-Newtonian viscoplastic flow behaviors. Recent applications have increased the demand for MR materials with better performance and good long-term stability. A variety of industrial MR materials have been developed and tested in numerous experimental and theoretical studies. Because modeling and analysis are essential to optimize material design, a new macroscale structural model has been developed to distinguish between static yield stress and dynamic yield stress and describe the flow behavior over a wide range of shear rates. Herein, this recent progress in the search for advanced MR fluid materials with good stability is described, along with new approaches to MR flow behavior analysis. Several ways to improve the stability and efficiency of the MR fluids are also summarized.