CHARACTERIZING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTHS ON THE COMPLEX SHEAR MODULUS PROPERTIES OF MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL (MR) FLUIDS

Abstract

When a magnetic field is applied across MR fluids, a yield stress is developed, and their rheological properties can then be categorized into two distinct regimes; pre-yield and post-yield. This paper concerns the viscoelastic behaviour of MR fluids in the pre-yield region. Oscillatory tests were carried out to determine the complex shear modulus properties of MR fluids between the temperature range of -20°C and +50°C. The test results show that the storage modulus and loss modulus increased in value as the excitation frequency was increased from 5Hz to 50Hz. The complex modulus was also found to be influenced by changes in temperature; the higher the temperature, the lower the complex modulus. This is consistent with the behaviour of viscoelastic polymers. The sets of temperature-dependent and frequency-dependent data were subsequently condensed using the method of reduced variables into master curves of complex modulus which effectively extended the frequency coverage of the data at the reference temperature.