Anomalous increase in the magnetorheological properties of magnetic fluid induced by silica nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetorheological properties are experimentally investigated in aqueous magnetic fluid containing spherical silica nanoparticles. A bi-dispersed system is prepared using aqueous suspension of silica nanoparticles and aqueous magnetic fluid. Both these fluids exhibit Newtonian viscosity with nominal values of 1.3 and 5.8 at 20 °C. Three different samples are prepared by varying silica and magnetic fluid concentrations and keeping the total volume constant. The addition of silica nanoparticles leads to enhancement of the magnetic field induced viscosity up to the order 107 . The magnetic field induced viscosity is analyzed using the structural viscosity model. Magnetic field induced static and dynamic yield stress values to reveal the existence of field induced clustering. An attempt is made to explain this yielding behavior using chain-like and micromechanical models. It is found that high silica fraction leads to the formation of chain-like structure. At low silica fraction, chains overlap and result into layer aggregates, which are responsible for the anomalous increase in the magnetorheological properties. This is further confirmed using magnetic field microscopic chain formations.