Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are stable suspensions of magnetic particles in a carrying fluid exhibiting controllable rheological behavior in the presence of a magnetic field. Magnetorheological effect represents a reversible increase, due to an external magnetic field, of effective viscosity. MR fluids and devices have the potential to revolutionize the design of hydraulic systems, actuators, valves, active shock and vibration dampers, and other components used in mechanical systems. MR fluids that are currently available suffer from high initial viscosity values and low stability. Hence, there is a compelling need to optimize the MR fluid manufacturing process to produce optimum MR fluid characteristics. The present study proposes to manufacture an optimum composition of a MR fluid in terms of its quality and properties. A high-speed bead mill blending machine is used to manufacture the fluid. Characterization studies are conducted to evaluate the produced fluid.
|