Tuning properties of phase-separated magnetic fluid with temperature

Abstract

Phase-separated magnetic fluids provide a very strong magnetic response (μ>25) in a liquid state material. Even small fields can cause a notable material response, but this depends on its properties, which are often difficult to control. Here, we investigate how temperature affects the properties of the system, where phase separation is induced by an increase in ionic strength. Following the deformations of individual microscopic droplets, we can extract surface tension, magnetic permeability, and viscosity. We find that the temperature increase does not affect the surface tension, while the magnetic permeability and viscosity increase. Applying this knowledge to induce a shape instability for a drop only using temperature shows the potential of applicability of our findings.