Electrorheological Research Articles

Viscoelastic properties of electro-rheological fluids containing ion-conductive polyurethane particles under electric field

Abstract A non-hydrous electro-rheological fluid (ERF) containing polyurethane (PU) particles with electrolytes and automotive dampers utilizing it have been developed. In this study, we investigated the influence of electrolytes and particle properties on ER effect (yield stress) leading to improving the ER effect of non-hydrous ERFs. As a result, yield stress was increased by the inclusion of electrolytes to PU particles and decreased by increasing the glass transition point (Tg) of PU. The inclusion of electrolyte in particles doubled the yield stress of ERF at 5 kV mm−1. The change in Tg of PU particles from −26.3 °C to −15.3 °C resulted in a decrease in yield stress by 0.7 times at 5 kV mm−1. According to a theoretical model for calculating the ER effect and experimental data, the ionic conductivity associated with the electrolyte addition and the Tg change contributed to the dielectric constant of the PU particles, which affected the ER effect. This result provides important knowledge for deriving material compositions that can further improve the ER effect.

Enhanced electrorheological activity of rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 particles in elastomers and their morphological effect

Abstract The properties of dielectric particles play the most important role in the electrorheological (ER) activity of elastomers, however, there is a lack of experimental research on the effect of particle morphology on the properties of electrorheological elastomers (EREs). In this study, spherical and rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 core-shell particles were synthesized and used to prepare EREs. Particles characterization results showed that both spherical and rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 exhibited an obvious core-shell structure and similar magnetic properties,with the aspect ratio of rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 particles was approximately 7:1. Furthermore, the EREs filled with rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 particles exhibit a higher dielectric constant and sharper dielectric loss peak than those filled with spherical particles, indicating that a larger aspect ratio enhances the dielectric performance. For EREs with the same volume fraction of particles or cured under the same external field, the storage modulus and relative ER effect of EREs filled with rod-like particles are both higher than those of EREs containing spherical particles. Additionally, it can be confirmed that the rod-like particle chain structures have a more significant strengthening effect on the ERE matrix, as evidenced by the rod-like Fe3O4@TiO2 particle filled elastomers exhibiting lower creep strain.

Effect of Magnetorheological Fluid Pockets Energization on Dynamic Response of MR-Laminated Beams under Impulse Loading

Laminated composite beams are being used for many applications due to their high strength to weight ratio. To enhance the performance of laminated composites under dynamic loading, Magnetorheological (MR) and Electrorheological (ER) fluids have been considered to be added as embedded layers/segments to the conventional laminated structures. The present work focuses on the dynamic behavior of laminated composite beams incorporating MR fluid pockets (referred to as MR-laminated beams) under impulse loadings. A modified layerwise displacement theory is employed to account for the varying fluidity of MR pockets along the thickness direction. Four configurations of MR-laminated beams featuring multiple MR pockets distributed through the thickness and along the length have been examined. A parametric analysis explores the impact of magnetic field strength, number and placement of MR pockets, and boundary conditions on the dynamic response of the MR-laminated beams. The changes in natural frequencies concerning the size and location of activated MR pockets have been explored. Time-response analysis is conducted for MR-laminated beams subjected to impulse loading, considering various sizes and locations of activated MR pockets. The investigation highlights the significant influence of the MR pocket's location and size on the vibration response of MR-laminated beams. It is realized that the total stiffness, mass, and activation energy can be optimized according to the desired dynamic response of the beams. The proposed configuration for MR-laminated beam, results in a beam with 7% reduction in total mass while exhibiting fivefold increase in the corresponding natural frequencies, 40% increase in damping and 40% reduction in maximum amplitude.

Investigation on influence factors of optically controlled electrorheological fluid damping system

Abstract Electromagnetic rheological damping control system, as an important control technology, has been widely used in braking, vibration reduction and micro-valve etc. However, the electromagnetic rheological damping control system faces issues of electromagnetic interference due to the high voltage source. To solve this problem, we proposed a novel optically controlled electrorheological fluid damping system. Previous studies have confirmed the feasibility of the optically controlled electrorheological fluid damping control system via numerical simulation and experiment. In this paper, the mechanism and mathematical model of the optically controlled electrorheological fluid damping system are established. The influence factor analyses of the optically controlled damping system, especially the impact of light intensity and microchannel size on system performance, are carried out through experimental and theoretical methods. The research findings of influence factors contribute to a deeper understanding of the working principle of the electrorheological fluid damping system, thereby promoting stability and reliability in microfluidics technology.

Exploring the potential of induced dipole-dominated electrorheological effect: advancing ER elastomers

Abstract Prior research has predominantly focused on traditional electrorheological (ER) effects while overlooking the transformative potential of induced dipoles in enhancing the overall performance of ER materials. In this study, we introduced a novel type of ER elastomer called induced dipole-dominated ER elastomer (ID-ERE). Through high-energy ball milling (HEBM) of the filler particles, the oxygen vacancies were produced within the particles that acted as local charge centers. In the presence of an external electric field (E), these oxygen vacancies induced the dipoles with significant dipole moments, thus amplifying the local electric field EL within the particle gaps. The powerful interactions of these dipoles significantly improved the overall performance of elastomer; the phenomenon referred to as the ID-ER effect. The viscoelastic results showed that ID-EREs have high field-induced storage modulus (G’ = 395.7 kPa), a significant increment in storage modulus (ΔG’ = 270.5 kPa) and high relative ER effect (ΔG’/G0 = 217.2%) at 3 kV mm−1. Additionally, after testing ID-EREs viscoelastic properties, it was discovered that excessive powder content leads to a decline in the elastomer’s performance. The results showed that ID-ERE’s viscoelastic, mechanical, dielectric, and overall efficiency is finer than the control ER elastomer (C-ERE) having unmilled TiO2 particles. Besides, the preparation method is straightforward, easily replicated, scalable, and cost effective. Thus, these ID-EREs should be a new generation of elastomer with the potential to be used in various automotive, robotics, construction, and electroactive actuators industries.

Performance analysis of ER fluid-lubricated two-lobe hole-entry hybrid journal bearings with bionic and spherical texture surfaces optimized by genetic algorithm

This study is done into the multifaceted world of ER (Electro-rheological) fluid-lubricated optimized textured hybrid hole-entry journal bearings to improve dynamic performance of the bearing and stability. These innovative techniques harness the dynamic properties of ER fluids in conjunction with optimized textured spherical and bionic textured surfaces to achieve enhanced performance and reliability. This study aims to explore the influence of ER fluid on the tribological behaviour and controllability of hybrid hole-entry journal bearings. Further it proposes the optimized design of bionic and spherical textured surfaces, capitalizing on their ability to influence fluid flow, load-carrying capacity, and friction reduction. The results demonstrate promising improvements in bearing performance metrics, including dynamic stability and fluid film damping, load-carrying capacity, friction reduction, and controllability, facilitated by the integration of ER fluid and the optimization of textured spherical and bionic textured surfaces. This study offers valuable insights into the potential applications of ER fluids and biomimicry-inspired textured surfaces in bearing system engineering. The inclusion of bionic textured hole-entry hybrid bearing lubricated with ER fluid improves the stability by up to 112.57 % and decrease the friction coefficient up to 23.37 %. The findings are expected to inform the design and development of high-performance hole-entry hybrid journal bearings with diverse industrial applications.

Preparation of a MIL-125/MoS2/SiO2 Ternary Nanohybrid and Its Smart Electrorheological Behavior.

In this work, a kind of ternary hybrid material, MIL-125/MoS2/SiO2, was prepared by a solvothermal and Stöber method. In this system, MIL-125, as the matrix material, not only furnishes a large specific surface area for MIL-125/MoS2/SiO2, thereby providing a basis for stronger interfacial polarization, but also effectively enhances the antisettlement ability of the electrorheological fluids (ERFs). Different characterizations, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, BET, electron mapping, etc., were used to analyze the ternary nanohybrid. The ERFs prepared by combining the different advantages of the three materials in the hybrid system were studied by a HAAKE high-speed rotary rheometer. In addition, the combination of MoS2 and SiO2 provides suitable electrical conductivity and dielectric properties for the system to promote the generation of interface polarization, ensuring that the entire system exhibits stronger electrorheological behavior without electrical breakdown and thus obtains higher shear stress.

Structuring of electrorheological fluids in polymer matrices for miniature actuators

Miniature actuators are utilized in various application fields, from robotics to medical devices, where compact dimensions, precise movements, and cost-effectiveness are crucial factors. Particularly for applications like braille displays, there is a critical demand for lightweight, portable, and affordable actuators to integrate into daily life for visually impaired people. However, existing actuation technologies such as electroactive polymers, electrorheological materials, and piezoelectric elements often do not meet the specific requirements of miniature actuators, especially for braille displays. Therefore, this study investigates the behavior of electrorheological fluids incorporated into polymer matrices of cellulose and proteins for miniature actuators to overcome the primary challenge of sedimentation through the structuring of the liquid. The gel formulations are tested in three distinct setups: the V-shaped, horizontal plates, and valve system. These experiments demonstrated immediate structural changes in the gel formulations, achieving reversible movement. Furthermore, the valve setup even enabled the analysis of the strength of the hardened mixtures by the resistance against applied air pressure. The results demonstrate that incorporating electrorheological fluids into polymer matrices is not only feasible but also preserves the characteristic behavior of electrorheological fluids under electrical field exposure. This behavior validates the applicability and suitability of modified electrorheological fluid mixtures in miniature actuators.

Acidic phosphonium-based ionic liquid encapsulated on titania particles with enhanced electrorheological response

Research on electrorheological (ER) fluids has led to significant advancements in the development of smart materials that adjust their viscosity in response to applied electric fields. This study focused on synthesizing titania ionogel-based particles (TiO2-IL) using an environmentally friendly sol-gel process involving tetrabutoxy-titanium (TBT) combined with an ionic liquid (IL), specifically 11-carboxyundecyl-triphenyl-phosphonium bromide. The successful incorporation of the IL into the TiO2 particles was confirmed through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and zeta potential analysis. The electrorheologial properties of TiO2-IL ionogel suspension in silicone oil were compared with those of pure TiO2 suspension. The addition of the ionic liquid (IL) significantly enhanced the electrorheological (ER) properties of the fluid, achieving a shear stress of approximately 1340Pa at an electric field strength of 5kV/mm. The fluid also exhibited excellent reversibility and a rapid response to changes in the electric field, which is attributed to the higher polarizability by the IL. Furthermore, the study observed low current density during operation, which helps maintain the fluid’s integrity and longevity under high electric fields. The fluids demonstrated stable ER effect across a temperature range of 40 to 70 ℃ and a reasonable sedimentation stability of around 80%. These characteristics, combined with the moderate conditions for particle preparation, make the TiO2-IL fluid a promising candidate for ER applications.

PID controller design for manipulating electrorheological valves with mesh electrodes using in 2D matrix display

Abstract The electrorheological (ER) valve with parallel electrodes structure has an inherent characteristic. The electrodes gap is the same as its flow channel gap, which causes a strong coupling relationship between the applied voltages and the flow rates of the ER valve. If flow rates of ER valves in the condition of turn on operational mode were increased, their applied voltages were increased necessarily for keeping their shutdown operational mode, which brings a bunch of problems of product costs and dimensions, especially when multiple ER valves with different operational modes work together, such as application of ER valves matrix used in 2D matrix displays. The mesh electrodes structure can decouple the relationship between the electrodes gap and the flow channel gap of parallel electrodes structure. However, due to the complexity of mesh electrodes structure, a mathematic model is difficult to be established theoretically. And, a mathematic model of ER valve with mesh electrodes plays a vital role in designing its controller. By analyzing the composition elements of an ER valve with mesh electrodes, a semi experimental model was established using the parametric identification toolbox of MATLAB. The consistency between the output of recognition model and the output of validation data reaches 93.46%. Subsequently the PID controller for ER valves with mesh electrodes was designed to meet the operational demands of a 2D matrix display using Simulink. The constrain of simulation was that the pressures of flow channel inlets of ER valves, the dynamic responses of ER valves with mesh electrodes kept stable and within its operational range. The results will be helpful for applications of ER valves with mesh electrodes.

Stability analysis of electrorheological (ER) lubricant operated multilobe hydrodynamic journal bearing

Purpose An electrorheological (ER) fluid consists of dielectric particles blended in a nonconducting oil. ER lubricants are often considered smart lubricants. This paper aims to examine the steady state and dynamic response of multilobe journal bearings using an ER lubricant. Design/methodology/approach Reynold’s equation has been used to describe the lubricant flow in the journal-bearing clearance space. The Bingham model is used to characterize the nonlinear behavior of the lubricant. The solution of the Reynolds equation is obtained using the Newton–Raphson method, with gaseous cavitation in the fluid film numerically addressed by applying a mass-conserving algorithm. The effects of lobe geometry and the applied electric field are investigated on film pressure profile, fluid film thickness, direct stiffness and damping parameters. The equation of motion for journal center coordinates is solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method, to predict journal center motion trajectories. Findings Using ER lubricant combined with two-lobe journal bearing significantly improved the minimum film thickness by 49.75%, the direct stiffness parameter by 132.18% and the damping parameter by 206.3%. However, the multilobe configuration was found to negatively impact the frictional powerloss of the bearing system. In the case of multilobe configurations of journal bearings using ER lubricant, linear motion journal trajectories are observed to be reduced and exhibit increased stability. Originality/value This study presents the effect of an ER lubricant and multilobe configuration on the rotor-dynamic performance and stability analysis of hydrodynamic journal bearings. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2024-0201/

Enhancing interfacial polarization and electrorheological effect of crosslinked poly(ionic liquid)s by doping aniline oligomer

Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) are providing potential platforms to develop next generation water-free polyelectrolyte-based electrorheological (ER) fluids because they well overcome water sensitivity problem of classic polyelectrolyte-based ER fluids by incorporating with large size fluoric counterions. Especially, crosslinked PILs (CPILs) can further broaden the working temperature range of ER effect compared to linear PILs. However, the crosslinking network easily restricts the ion dissociation due to decreased dielectric constant and thus weakens ion movement-induced interfacial polarization and ER effect. In this paper, we propose a way to improve ion dissociation and ion movement-induced interfacial polarization of CPILs by doping polar aniline oligomer to improve the dielectric constant of CPILs. Several kinds of CPILs are synthesized and then aniline oligomer is doped into CPILs by swelling method. The structure of doped CPILs is characterized by different techniques, the dielectric property of ER fluids of doped CPIL particles in silicone oil is analyzed by dielectric spectroscopy, and the ER effect of ER fluids of doped CPIL particles is measured by rheometer under electric fields. It shows that doping aniline oligomer can increase the dielectric intensity and decrease the relaxation time and corresponding activation energy of interfacial polarization and improve the ER effect of CPILs with a relatively loose crosslinking network, while doping aniline oligomer has no contribution to the interfacial polarization and ER effect of CPILs with a relatively tight crosslinking network.

Highly Porous Particles of Cellulose Derivatives for Advanced Applications.

A chemical modification of cellulose diacetate by phthalate and nitrate was performed to increase solubility in organic solvents and change the electrical properties. The role of substituents on the conductivity, permittivity, and polarizability of cellulose films is revealed. It has been shown that highly porous micro particles can be obtained from cellulose derivatives by a simple and technological freeze-drying method. The resulting micro sized aerogels have a predominantly spherical morphology and amorphous structure. Suspensions of porous particles of nitro- and phthalylated cellulose derivatives in silicone oil have an increased dielectric permittivity compared to cellulose diacetate particles. Produced particles are novel promising material with tunable electrical properties for advanced applications in composites, including for electrorheological fluids.

Preparation and Electrorheological Behavior of Rare‐Earth La Ion Doping MIL‐125 Nanoparticles

Herein, rare‐earth element (lanthanum)‐doped MIL‐125 is synthesized via the solvothermal method. The morphology, physicochemical structure, specific surface area, and other characteristics of the synthesized material are characterized via scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer Emmett Teller, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, element mapping, etc. It is observed that appropriate La doping enhances the dielectric mismatch and conductive mismatch levels of the material. This enhancement leads to a stronger interface polarization capability, thereby influencing the material's dielectric properties. Ultimately, the electrorheological fluids with La‐doped MIL‐125 as the dispersive phase show an obvious electrorheological effect.

A novel coarse-grained modeling and simulation for microstructure and shear evolution of induced dipole dominant electrorheological fluid

Induced dipole dominant electrorheological fluid (ID-ERF) is a new type of ERF. After high energy ball milling (HEBM) process, dielectric particles produce a large number of oxygen vacancies, and the dipoles formed by the polarization of these oxygen vacancies provide excellent ER properties. ID-ERF has the advantages of high shear stress, low current density, long service life, anti-sedimentation, simple preparation method, etc. It should be a new generation of ERF material suitable for practical application. In this work, facing at the shortcomings of traditional particle MD simulation of ERF system, a coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) model is constructed. The evolution of ID-ERF is simulated under the conditions of no electric field and 5 kV/mm electric field. Proves that there is an adsorption layer of carrier liquid on the surface of ER particles, and shows BCT lattice arrangement under electric field. The sinusoidal shear strain is applied to the model, and calculate the variation of strain amplitude, loss factor, storage modulus and loss modulus. In addition, we prepared ID-ERF and tested its performance to compare with the simulation results.

A universal yield stress equation for electrorheological fluids

In this study, we investigate the universality of the yield stress [τyE0, where E0 is electric field strength] for examining electrorheological (ER) fluids both experimentally and theoretically. We found that the published experimental data for the yield stress of ER fluids for various materials and measurement conditions obey a yield stress scaling equation. In other words, the ER yield stress data in the literature collapse onto a universal correlation: τ̂=1.313Ê3/2tanhÊ using scaled variables τ̂≡τyE0/τyEc and Ê≡E0/Ec. Here, Ec is critical electric field strength. Although this expression is attractive for experimentalists, this empirical equation has not been derived from first principles. We introduce a mesoscopic elementary region concept and justify this universal correlation for the first time. We decompose the ER system into a finite number of elementary regions and introduce “glueons,” which adhere to neighboring elementary regions resulting in fibrillary structures. We investigated the limiting case when the elementary region size is reduced to zero (continuum limit) and used a reaction-diffusion model to calculate glueon concentration. In modeling the reaction term (generation of glueons), we used a linear model by recognizing that the electric field activates glueons, i.e., the number of glueons increases as the electric field strength increases. In our preliminary study, we were able to justify a universal correlation by solving the glueon concentration equation using a simple geometry. The novelty of this work is the development of universality for the ER yield stress and derivation of a universal scaling equation.

Enhancing the performance of electrorheological fluids by structure design

By incorporating polar fibers into the design of electrorheological (ER) fluids, a 130% performance improvement can be achieved with the addition of only 0.8 vol% of polar long fibers. We quantitatively analyzed the impact of relatively long fibers on improving ER performance by measuring the yield stress, shear stress, and current density after adding fibers. Both optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe and analyze the interaction between ER particles and polar fibers. The results indicate that, under the influence of an electric field, the fibers transform the one-dimensional chain-like structure into a two-dimensional mesh structure, greatly improving the ER performance. The transformation of structure induced by the polar fibers in the ER fluids amplifies the ER effect. However, the inclusion of non-polar fibers does not contribute to this enhancement, as a point of comparison. Moreover, to ensure the universality of this method, we used two different types of ER fluids in experiments. The utilization of this method offers a straightforward, environmentally friendly, and highly effective approach. Furthermore, this study provides a novel technical solution aimed at enhancing the performance of ER fluids.

Combined Effect of Surface Irregularities and Applied Voltage on the Behavior of Hole-Entry Spherical Hybrid Journal Bearings Lubricated with an Electro-Rheological Fluid

Abstract Surface irregularities substantially affect the performance of tribological systems. The influence of three-dimensional surface irregularities has been investigated on the behavior of hole-entry spherical hybrid journal bearings. Recently, smart fluids have been employed in several applications to improve their performance. The interactive effect of electro-rheological (ER) fluid and surface irregularities have also been studied. The modified Reynolds equation and restrictor flow equation have been solved using the finite element technique with appropriate boundary conditions. The results show that consideration of surface irregularities on bearing surface enhances bearing stability. Spherical hybrid journal bearings lubricated by ER fluid increase minimum fluid film thickness and minimize the possibility of metal-to-metal contact. It is found that the combined effect of surface irregularities and ER fluid significantly improved the bearing performance parameters than individual behavior. The bearing designer is anticipated to benefit from the current model.

A novel smart hybrid multimorph piezoelectric spherical shell cloak for broadband near-perfect underwater acoustic camouflage applications

Non-visual auditory camouflage plays a major role in the art of underwater deception. In this work, a hybrid active/semi-active omnidirectional cloaking shell structure composed of alternate complementary piezoelectric and smart viscoelastic (PZT/SVE) actuator layers is proposed that can effectively conceal a three dimensional underwater macroscopic object from broadband incident sound waves. The smart hybrid structure incorporates a finite sequence of fully active parallel-connected multimorph PZT constraining layers inter-stacked with semi-active SVE core layers both of which are collaboratively operative in the framework of a Particle Swarm Optimized (PSO) multiple-input multiple-output active damping control (MIMO-ADC) scheme. The elasto-acoustic modeling of the problem is conducted by coupling the spatial state space methodology based on the classical three-dimensional exact piezoelasticity theory with the wave equations for the inner and outer acoustic domains. The acoustic cloaking performance of proposed configuration is evaluated for four distinct classes of highly functional SVE interlayer materials with tunable (field-dependent) rheological properties, namely, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), shape memory polymer (SMP), electrorheological fluid (ERF), and magnetorheological shear thickening polishing fluid (MRSTPF). Extensive numerical results reveal significant broadband reductions of the far-field backscattering amplitude in the (f∞θ=π,kexRex)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\left|{f}_{\\infty }\\left(\ heta =\\pi ,{k}_{\ ext{ex}}{R}_{\ ext{ex }}\\right)\\right|)$$\\end{document} as well as the percentage error of external cloaked field (%Err)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$(\\%\ ext{Err})$$\\end{document} by incorporating a sufficient number of smart multimorph PZT/SVE material layers. Furthermore, it is concluded that comparable low frequency acoustic cloaking effects is possible without expenditure of any external energy just by employing the entirely inactive MRSTPF-based cloak as an alternative to the semiactive or fully active multimorph PZT/SVE cloaks. The outcome of proposed study can advantageously serve as the first step towards practical development and experimental implementation of future high performance smart acoustic cloaking devices with expanded broadband near-perfect omnidirectional invisibility for three dimensional objects of diverse geometries.

Enhancing particle string detection in electrorheological plasmas using asymmetrical kernel convolutional networks

Under different plasma conditions and electric fields in a complex plasma the plasma particles organize themselves in a string-like or chain-like manner. A phase transition from string-like to an isotropic particle distribution is observed at different electrical conditions. The streaming of charged ions around plasma particles with the surrounding electric field gives the plasma its electrorheological properties. The visibility of individual particles in a complex plasma opens up the opportunity to examine properties and phase transitions of such electrorheological fluids in detail. Because of the limited one-dimensional symmetry, determining the configuration of a particle and recognizing strings in particle distributions is not always straightforward. Several approaches have already been used to analyse particle clouds while either considering each particle locally or considering the particle cloud as a whole without providing information about single particle configurations. This paper presents a new machine learning approach that takes advantage of particle distributions over the entire particle cloud and detects all string-like particles at once, using a convolutional neural network in form of an encoder-decoder network with asymmetric kernel convolutions. This not only enhances the result quality but also accelerates the evaluation process, possibly enabling real-time analyses on electrorheological phase transitions, while achieving an accuracy of over 95% on manually labelled data.