Electrorheological properties of chitin suspensions

Electrorheological suspensions are suspensins of solid particles whose rheological behavior can be strongly modified by the application of an electric field, In this article, the electrorheological properties of suspensions containing chitin particles (and its derivative— carboxylmethyl chitosan particles) in silicone oil are reported for a range of suspension weight concentrations, applied field strengths, shear rates, etc. In these suspensions, glycerin was used as an activator. The adsorbed amount of glycerin, one of the electrorheological parameters, was also studied experimentally. The ER effect of the chitin suspension reaches the maximum at about 11% of weight concentration. The dependence of the experimentally determined dynamic yield stress on particle concentration and field strength is found to be similar to that reported for other systems. The dynamic yield stress is found to increase with the particle concentration and the applied electric field strength. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development and characterization of hydrocarbon polyol polyurethane and silicone magnetorheological polymeric gels

Magnetorheological polymeric gels (MRPG) have been developed for use in semi‐active magnetorheological fluid (MRF) dampers and other magnetorheological (MR) devices. The novel MRPGs are prepared by suspending iron particles in polymeric gels. Off‐state (i.e, no applied magnetic field) viscosity and settling behavior can be controlled through the selection of polymeric gels. In this study, tunable rheological properties were investigated with a piston‐driven flow type rheometer with a shear rate varying from 20 s^?1 to 6,000 s^?1. Silicone MRPG (with 84.5 wt % iron particles) has controllable viscosity and a high shear yield stress over a wide range of shear rates. Silicone MRPG (79.5 wt % iron particles) has the lowest viscosity of those studied. Polyurethane MRPG has the lowest settling rate. The order of addition of magnetic particles and polymer during the polymerization process affects the MRPG final off‐state apparent viscosity (80% increase in apparent viscosity for silicone MRPG polymerized after adding iron particles). This indicates that polymer gels modify the surface properties of the magnetic particles, causing interaction among particles. The dynamic shear yield stress is higher for fluids with better dispersion stability. Polyurethane MRPG, which has the lowest settling rate, has a high dynamic yield stress (23 kPa at 350 mT). Both dynamic and static shear stress values of the MRPGs were found to be similar in magnitude (5–8 kPa at 120 mT for silicone MRPG with 84.5 wt % iron particles and polyurethane MRPG), indicating that MRPGs can provide consistent performance in devices. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1176–1182, 2004     

Scaling of Yield Stress of Polythiophene Suspensions under Electric Field

Summary: Electrorheological properties in steady shear of perchloric acid doped poly(3‐thiopheneacetic acid), PTAA, particles in silicone oil were investigated to determine the effects of field strength, particle concentration, doping degree (conductivity values), operating temperature and nonionic surfactant. The PTAA/silicone oil suspensions show the typical ER response of Bingham flow behavior upon the application of electric field. The yield stress increases with electric field strength, E, and particle volume fraction, ?, according to a scaling law of the form, τ_y ∝ E^α · ?^γ. The scaling exponent α approaches the value of 2, predicted by the polarization model, as the particle volume fraction decreases and when the doping level of the particles decreases. The scaling exponent γ tends to unity, as predicted by the polarization model, when the electric field strength is low. The yield stress under electric field initially increases with temperature up to 25 °C, and then levels off. At electric fields above of 1.5 kV/mm, the yield stress increases significantly by up to 50% on addition of small amounts of a nonionic surfactant.

Effect of switching the applied electric field on the viscosity of a 20 wt.‐% highly HClO₄ doped polythiophene suspensions during stress sweep test.     

Organic/inorganic hybrid of polyaniline/BaTiO3 composites and their electrorheological and dielectric characteristics

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) inorganic particles which possess large electronic resistance and excellent dielectric properties were employed to synthesize conducting polyaniline (PANI)/BaTiO₃ composites via an in situ oxidative polymerization, since conducting PANI/inorganic composites have been considered as a superior candidate of electrorheological (ER) fluids because of their physical properties, unique structure, and the combined merits of the two phases. The influence of the fraction of BaTiO₃ particles in the as‐synthesized composites on the physical properties (morphology and crystal structure) and the ER behaviors were examined. Yield stress data obtained were analyzed based on the universal yield stress equation as a function of applied electric field and it was found that the universal yield stress equation collapses these data onto a single curve independent of BaTiO₃ particle concentration. Their shear stresses under an applied electric field were also found to be fitted well with the Cho–Choi–Jhon model. In addition, the investigated dielectric spectra were found to be useful to interpret the differences in the ER performances for the PANI/BaTiO₃ composite based ER fluids. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Study on the properties of magnetorheological gel based on polyurethane

Magnetorheological gels (MRGs) known as a new kind of magnetorheological material are composite gels containing magnetic particles suspended in polymer gels. In this study, a category of MR polymer gels based on polyurethane (PU) were prepared. The microstructures of these MRGs were observed with a digital microscope. Their rheological properties under both steady shear and oscillation testing were characterized by using a MR rheometer. The viscosity of the PU MRG decreased with the increment of NCO/OH ratio and increased with the increment of the weight concentration of carbonyl iron particles, molecular mass of poly propylene glycol, and applied magnetic field. The storage modulus increased gradually with the increment of applied magnetic field and weight concentration of carbonyl iron particles. The PU MRG exhibits high static shear yield stress (60.8 kPa, at 573 mT) and dynamic shear yield stress (83.9 kPa, at 573 mT) and wide variation range (static shear yield stress: 6–62 kPa, dynamic shear yield stress: 15–85 kPa). These advantages indicate that PU MRG is able to satisfy wide applications. In addition, both static and dynamic shear yield stresses of the MRG samples increase with the increment of molar mass of polypropylene glycol. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Emulsion polymerized polyaniline synthesized with dodecylbenzene-sulfonic acid and its electrorheological characteristics: Temperature effect

Dodecylbenzene-sulfonic acid (DBSA)-doped polyaniline (PANI) was prepared by emulsion polymerization, where DBSA was used as both an emulsifier and a dopant. The chemical structure and morphology of the DBSA were examined via FT-IR and SEM, respectively. Electrorheological (ER) properties of DBSA-doped PANI particles dispersed in silicone oil were studied under different operating temperatures and an applied electric field. Shear stress data as a function of shear rate fitted quite well with the Cho-Choi-Jhon (CCJ) shear stress model. Both deduced static and dynamic yield stresses were found to be collapsed into a universal scaling function. Furthermore, the Cole-Cole plot and the dielectric spectra gave relaxation times of the ER systems for different operating temperatures of dielectric measurements, confirming the correlation of dielectric properties with ER performance.     

Facile fabrication of polyaniline/polypyrrole copolymer nanofibers with a rough surface and their electrorheological activities

Hierarchical polyaniline/polypyrrole (PANI/PPy) copolymer nanofiber was prepared via a two‐step method and adopted as dispersing materials for electrorheological (ER) fluids. The first step was used to synthesize PANI nanofibers by a rapid mixing method. Subsequently, the PANI/PPy copolymer nanofibers with a rough surface were obtained using an in situ polymerization method continuously. The morphology of the resultant PANI/PPy copolymer nanofibers can be controlled by varying the amount of Py monomer in the secondary in situ polymerization method. The rough surface of PANI/PPy copolymer nanofibers were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The diameter of PANI/PPy nanofiber is within the range 100–200 nm. The obtained PANI/PPy copolymer particles all exhibit amorphous structure through X‐ray diffraction measurement. We also demonstrated that the hierarchical PANI/PPy copolymer nanofibers exhibited characteristic ER behaviors, which were investigated using a Haake rotational rheometer at various electric field strengths. The ER efficiency e for PANI‐1mLPPy and PANI‐2mLPPy ER fluids at shear rate 0.1 s⁻¹ is 36.6 and 28.5 under electric field strength E = 3 kV/mm, respectively. Low leaking current density is observed even at high electric field strength and wide plateau region appeared, which show a strong ER activity for the PANI/PPy composite nanofibers. The results also indicate that the PANI/PPy composite particles have distinctly enhanced ER effect compared with the pure PANI and PPy particles under electric stimuli. The significantly improved ER property of PANI/PPy‐based ER fluid is ascribed to the enhanced interfacial polarization. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46289.     

Graphene-supported carbonaceous dielectric sheets and their electrorheology

Two-dimensional dielectric sheets composed of graphene-supported amorphous carbon were prepared by annealing polyaniline-coated graphene oxide sheets in vacuum. The morphology and structure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. This showed that annealing the polyaniline-coated graphene oxide had little influence on its plate-like morphology but transformed the graphene oxide core into conducting graphene and the polyaniline shell into insulating nitrogen-enriched amorphous carbon. An electrorheological suspension was prepared by dispersing the graphene-supported carbonaceous sheets in silicone oil and its electrorheological property was investigated by rhelogical tests under electric fields. The suspension demonstrated a strong electrorheological effect. Its yield stress and shear stress were about three times as large as those of a suspension of pure carbonaceous particles at equal electric field strengths. The storage modulus of the suspension was also higher than that of a suspension of pure carbonaceous particles, indicating stronger electrorheological activity. Dielectric measurements indicated that the presence of the graphene core had increased the polarization property, and this is responsible for the increased electrorheological activity.     

Bipolar Electrochemistry,a Focal Point of Future Research

Bipolar electrochemistry is a conventional method based on the polarization of an isolated substrate under an applied electric field. This technique has been applied to electrolysis, corrosion, and other areas of chemical engineering since the twentieth century. However, it has been recognized as a powerful tool in many modern domains after water splitting has been demonstrated to be possible using micrometer-sized bipolar electrodes. Modifying inorganic objects in novel ways, such as creating electrical contacts between metal particles using directed electrochemical growth or shaping and exploring the micro- and nanoworld are some of the new applications in this field. Fabrication of electronic devices, electroanalytical purposes, generation of molecular and material gradients, functionalization of single micro- and nanopores, synthesis of Janus particles, design of swimmers, and asymmetric modification of nanoparticles will be discussed in this article as a focal point of future research in bipolar electrochemistry.     

Analysis of the flow behavior of electrorheological fluids with the aligned structure reformation

A new rheological model is applied to the analysis of the behavior of electrorheological (ER) fluids. A comparison of the model’s predictions with experimental data shows that the proposed model correctly predicts the shear stress behavior both quantitatively and qualitatively. The shear stress data for the aligned particles’ structure reformation can be fitted as a function of shear rate with the new model. Proposed model using less parameters than CCJ model affords good agreement with the experimental data and consistent parameter values through the whole shear rate range and different applied electric field strengths. Furthermore, the yield stress was found to be almost linearly dependent on the field strength, different from the predictions of the polarization model.     

Dynamic viscoelasticity and phenomenological model of electrorheological elastomers

Electrorheological elastomers (EREs) present a tunable viscoelasticity with the application of an electric field. For their application, it is necessary to investigate the viscoelasticity of the EREs under various loading conditions and establish an accurate constitutive model. In this study, anisotropic silicone‐rubber‐based EREs with 30 vol % TiO₂–urea core–shell particles were prepared under an orientation electric field. We evaluated their viscoelasticities by testing their shear stress–shear strain hysteresis loops under various electric fields, frequencies, and strain amplitudes. On the basis of the experimental data, a nonlinear, revised Bouc–Wen phenomenological model was established, and the parameters in the model were identified. The results indicate that the revised model could accurately describe the viscoelastic properties of the EREs within a low frequency. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45407.     

Physical and electroresponsive characteristics of the intercalated styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymer/clay nanocomposite under applied electric fields

Styrene‐acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN)/clay nanocomposites were synthesized through an emulsion copolymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of sodium montmorillonite, and their physical properties and electroresponsiveness under an applied electric field were characterized. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal stability of the synthesized polymer was sustained. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the insertion of SAN into the interlayers of clay, whose separation consequently increased, as compared to those of the pristine clay. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the suspended state of clay. Dry‐base electrorheological (ER) fluids were prepared by mixing intercalated SAN nanocomposite particles into silicone oil. Typical ER behavior, i.e., enhancement of shear and yield stresses in the presence of an applied electric field, was observed using a rotational rheometer equipped with a high‐voltage generator. A universal yield stress scaling equation was also found to fit our experimental data well. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 821–827, 2003     

Fabrication of semiconducting graphene oxide/polyaniline composite particles and their electrorheological response under an applied electric field

Semiconducting graphene oxide/polyaniline (GO/PANI) composite particles for potential electrorheological (ER) fluid applications were synthesized by the in situ dispersion polymerization of aniline in the presence of GO particles, which were prepared using a modified Hummers method. The electroresponsive ER characteristics of the composite when dispersed in silicone oil exhibited a phase transition from a liquid-like to solid-like state under an applied electric field. The morphology and composition of the composite particles were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Its fibrillation phenomenon was observed by optical microscopy during the application of an external electric field. The bulk rheological characteristics of both the flow curve and yield stress were examined using a rotational rheometer equipped with a high voltage generator. The GO/PANI composite showed typical ER behavior, which demonstrated its potential applications as an ER smart material.     

Rheological properties and stability of magnetorheological fluids using viscoelastic medium and nanoadditives

In order to improve the stability of magnetorheological (MR) fluids, viscoelastic medium having 2.2 Pa yield stress has been used as a continuous phase and nanosized CrO₂ particles are added too. The rheological properties as well as the dispersion stability of MR fluids have been studied by using a stress-controlled rheometer and sedimentation test. The steady-shear MR response was independent of the continuous and nano additives and the fieldinduced yield stress increased subquadratically with the flux density. Since the constant stress is generated within the limit of zero shear rate, the plateau in the flow curve corresponds to the Bingham yield stress. Under an external field, the yield stress varied as B^3/2. The yield stress has an approximately linear relation with the particle volume fraction.     

Sedimentation-resistant electrorheological fluids based on PVAL-coated microballoons

Sedimentation is often a problem in electrorheological (ER) fluids featuring solid particles suspended in a low-density hydrocarbon oil. This problem was addressed by synthesizing particles comprising silica microballoons coated with PVAL using a salt-induced coacervation process. The ER performance of the fluids based on these particles was equivalent to prototypical commercial fluids, both with respect to current leakage and shear stress under steady simple shear flow. For comparing diverse fluids as to these practical characteristics, a dimensionless ER effectiveness number, Er, was proposed: Er = σγ˙/EJ where σ is the shear stress, γ˙ is the electric field, and J is the current. The resulting uniform coatings were also found to impart a degree of resistance to breakage. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65:539–547, 1997     

Electrorheological characterization of semiconducting polyaniline suspension

Electrorheological (ER) properties of polyaniline suspensions in silicone oil with various experimental conditions were investigated. These suspensions exhibit dramatic changes in their rheological properties which are caused by the formation of particle chain structures induced by an applied electric field. Polyaniline was synthesized by the chemical oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxysulfate. This study examined the effects of electric field, volume fraction, polymerization temperature and operation temperature on the ER properties of polyaniline suspensions in silicone oil. Rheological measurements were carried out by using a rotational rheometer with a high voltage generator in both controlled shear stress and shear rate modes. Experimental results showed that the ER properties were enhanced by increasing the volume fraction and electric field and were independent of the operating tempertures. The best ER properties were also obtained by using polyaniline particles synthesized at -10°C, and these had a conductivity of ? 10^?10 S/cm.     

Electrorheological effect of anisotropic solution of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) induced by stepwise electric fields

The electrorheological (ER) effect of an anisotropic solution of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) in 1,4-dioxane with a concentration of 15 wt % was measured at a shear rate of 2.6 s⁻¹ by our parallel-plate sliding rheometer. The solution under shear flow was stimulated by stepwise electric fields up to 3.0 kV/mm. Remarkable changes in the beginning of the transient ER response were observed according to the strength of the stepwise electric fields. The lower electric field gave a smaller increase in shear stress depending on the electric-field strength, while the larger electric fields above a critical strength tended to give a larger stress response. The maximum shear stress enhanced by the electric fields in the present experiment was in excess of 10 times the steady shear stress under no electric field. The ER effect was discussed in terms of the Miesowicz viscosities, the interaction among anisotropic domains, as well as the electrohydrodynamic instability. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1079–1084, 1997     

FLOW OF VISCOPLASTIC FLUIDS ON AN INCLINED PLANE: EVALUATION OF YIELD STRESS

Within the general category of so called generalized Newtonian fluids, there exists a class of materials which do not deform until the applied shear stress exceeds a critical value called yield stress. Conversely, such a material behaves like a solid as long as the shear stress is less than the yield stress. This class of materials is called viscoplastic fluids. The question whether the true yield stress exists or not is indeed far from settled (1), but the notion of a yield stress has proved to be quite useful in practice in describing the steady shear rheological behaviour of a range of materials especially of particulate suspensions. Consequently, yield stress appears as a parameter in all constitutive relations (which purport to describe the steady shear behaviour of viscoplastic materials), and its evaluation is important before an engineering flow problem can be solved. Conversely, there are some simple hydrodynamic situations which allow the value of the yield stress to be extracted from macroscopic quantities such as flow rate-pressure drop data. In this paper, we examine this possibility using gravity driven flow of a viscoplastic material on an inclined plane.     

Electrorheological suspensions of two polarizable particles

Bi-disperse Electrorheological (ER) suspensions of two polarizable particles of the same size are investigated to understand the ER behavior of poly-disperse suspensions composed of various polarizable particles. The electrostatic polarization model is employed to describe ER suspensions, and solutions to the equation of motion are obtained by dynamic simulation. Even with the applied electric field, metastable structures and sheared configurations at a shear rate of 0.01 and 10 s^-1 show no inhomogeneous higher polarizable particle distributions (no higher polarizable particle cluster formation) regardless of the ratio of the two types of particles. The shear stress increases with the increase of the higher polarizable particle concentration both in the electrostatic force and hydrodynamic force dominant regions.     

Analysis of the Effect of Piezoelectric Patches on the Behavior of Adhesively Bonded Scarf Joints — An Analytical Study

In order to reduce the maximum peel and shear stress concentrations in the adhesive layer, a smart adhesively bonded scarf joint system was developed by surface bonding of piezoelectric patches onto a typical scarf joint. The forces and bending moments at the edges of the developed smart joint system can be adaptively controlled by adjusting the applied electric field on the piezoelectric patches, thus reducing the peel and shear stresses concentration in the adhesive layer. In order to verify the effect of surface bonding of piezoelectric patches in smart scarf adhesive joints, an analytical model was developed to evaluate the shear stress distribution and to predict the peel stress. It was established that the piezoelectric patched joint could reduce the stress concentrations at the scarf joint edges. The influence of the electric field and the effects of the scarf angle and the adherend Young's modulus on the peel and shear stresses were investigated. It was found that the effect of scarf angle is more significant at higher angles to raise the stresses. The effect of the electric field on the shear stress is more significant than on the peel stress.