Fabrication and magnetorheological property of core/shell structured magnetic composite particle encapsulated with cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate)

Hybrid magnetic particle of carbonyl iron (CI) microsphere and cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with core/shell structure was prepared to be adopted as a dispersed particle for a magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The magnetic hybrid composite microsphere was synthesized via a dispersion polymerization in the presence of CI, in which the PMMA was cross-linked using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate during polymerization for its enhancement in both chemical resistance and surface hardness. Magnetic property and morphology of the produced hybrid particles were examined via a vibrating sample magnetometer and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The hybrid magnetic microsphere based MR fluids were then investigated under different external magnetic field strengths via a rotational rheometer. Their flow behaviors showing typical MR characteristics at a steady shear mode along with shear viscosity were examined under applied external magnetic field strength.     

Magnetic composites of conducting polyaniline/nano-sized magnetite and their magnetorheology

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids, composed of colloidal particles dispersed in a carrier liquid, possess controllable rheological properties by an external magnetic field, showing dramatic changes of yield stress and shear viscosity caused by transformation between solid-like to liquid-like state. As a new MR material, we synthesized conducting polyaniline (PANI)/nano-sized Fe₃O₄ composites which could be adopted as a dispersed phase of MR fluids. Composites containing nano-sized Fe₃O₄ were synthesized via a chemical reaction method. Microstructure of the PANI/Fe₃O₄ composites was characterized by SEM and XRD. Magnetic property of the composites was characterized by VSM. Furthermore, MR fluid based on PANI/Fe₃O₄ composites was investigated using a rotational rheometer equipped with a magnetic field generator, exhibiting a typical MR performance of which shear stress of the fluids increased abruptly under magnetic fields.     

Analysis of particles in magnetorheological polishing fluid for finishing of ferromagnetic cylindrical workpiece

Magnetorheological honing process is developed for nanofinishing of internal surfaces of ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic cylindrical objects. The process makes use of smart fluid called magnetorheological (MR) polishing fluid for finishing which has a property to become stiff in the existence of magnetic field. The smart MR polishing fluid is made with the ingredients of carbonyl iron (CI) particles, abrasive particles, and base fluid. Direct current given to the electromagnet coil engenders magnetic field on finishing tool surface. Magnetic force acts on magnetic CI particles which further exert the repulsive force on nonmagnetic silicon carbide (SiC) abrasive particles and performs finishing when tool rotates as well as reciprocates inside the cylindrical workpiece. The CI and SiC particles present in MR polishing fluid are magnetically simulated and analyzed using finite element (FE) analysis. The distribution of magnetic flux density and magnitude of magnetic force acting on CI particles are analyzed through FE analysis. It is found that the CI particles which are available adjacent to the active abrasives are major responsible for indenting the active abrasive particles into workpiece surface. Also, the effect of finishing tool surface areas and particles size on the strength of chains of CI particles in MR polishing fluid have been analyzed.     

Adsorption of polymer coated magnetite composite particles onto carbon nanotubes and their magnetorheology

Polymer coated nano-sized magnetite (Fe₃O₄) particles with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) nanohybrid were prepared by four step procedures in this study. Initially, magnetic particles were synthesized by a co-precipitation method with ammonium hydroxide and oleic acid, and then the produced particles were coated with polyacrylamide (PAAm). Finally PAAm coated magnetite particles (Mag-PAAm) were physically adsorbed onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) under ultrasonication. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate the formation of Mag-PAAm-MW nanohybrids nanostructure, confirming that prepared Mag-PAAM particles were well adsorbed onto the surfaces of MWNT. In addition, MR characteristics of PAAm coated magnetite particles with MWNT (Mag-PAAm-MW) nanohybrids were investigated under six different external magnetic field strengths via a rotational rheometer, exhibiting typical MR behavior of yield stress and shear stress.     

Nanostructured magnetic particles with polystyrene and their magnetorheological applications

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are known to be colloidal suspensions of magnetic particles in a non-magnetic fluid, and exposure to a magnetic field transforms the fluid into a plastic-like solid in milliseconds. To improve the stability against sedimentation and uniform dispersion, two different MR candidates, soft magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) microspheres and magnetite (Fe3O4) particles were modified with polystyrene to be applied for MR fluids in this study. After modification, their unique morphology, crystalline structure and magnetic properties were examined in addition to MR performance and sedimentation characteristics. It was found that this embedded morphology not only effectively prevents direct contact of the magnetic species thus improving particle dispersion but also leads to obvious change in their density, compared with the traditional polymer coating method with a core-shell structure.     

Rheological Characterization of MR Polishing Fluid Used for Silicon Polishing in BEMRF Process

The finishing mechanism of the ball-end magnetorheological finishing (BEMRF) process mainly depends on the stiffened hemispheroid, which is formed at the tool tip. Magnetorheological (MR) polishing fluid imparts strength to the polishing spot because of the effect of magnetic field strength. Behavior of this polishing fluid mainly depends on the size and shape of its constituents, volume concentration, particle size distribution, and applied magnetic field strength. A detailed study was undertaken on the role of carbonyl iron particle (CIP) size on the rheological behavior of the MR polishing fluid under various magnetic flux densities. Evaluation of the behavior of MR polishing fluid for silicon polishing was attempted through designing and fabrication of a parallel-plate magnetorheometer. Rheological characterization study was carried out using the Casson fluid model and the MR polishing fluid rheological properties, namely field-induced yield stress and shear viscosity were evaluated.     

Encapsulation of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in poly-(lactide-co-glycolic acid) microspheres for biomedical applications

Magnetic microspheres were prepared using a single step coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization technique at ambient temperature and pressure, with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as the coating and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles dispersed in polyethylene glycol as the encapsulated material. The morphology and particle size distributions of the prepared magnetic microspheres were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The particles were spherical with mean diameters ranging from ~ 2 μm to 18 μm, depending on the combination of processing parameters (flow rate and applied voltage). Analysis by infrared spectroscopy and focused ion-beam sectioning confirmed incorporation of iron oxide nanoparticles into the microspheres and the prepared samples were shown to be responsive to an applied magnetic field. This study demonstrates a convenient method for the preparation of nanoparticle loaded microspheres, which could be used potentially as transverse relaxation contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, as well as for magnetically guided drug delivery.     

磁流变液及其阻尼器的制备与性能研究

研究了一种新型MR液和MR阻尼器;用振动样品磁强计测试了MPS-MRF-25羰基铁粉的磁性能;用磁流变仪测试了MR液的表观粘度和磁致剪切应力;用静置沉降法分析了MR液的抗沉降稳定性;用电液伺服材料性能试验机测试了MR阻尼器的性能.结果表明MPS-MRF-25羰基铁粉具有优良的磁性能;以其制备的MR液具有较好的抗沉降稳定性和温度稳定性;MR阻尼器在2A电流下可以达到15kN的阻尼力.     

Microstructural evolution of Ni-NaCl mixtures during mechanochemical reaction and mechanical milling

The evolution of microstructure of Ni and NaCl mixtures formed by mechanochemical reaction and mechanical milling has been studied using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and magnetic measurements. Separate nano-sized Ni particles were formed by continuous solid-state reaction of NiCl₂ + 2Na during mechanical milling. Further milling resulted in the growth of clustered particles due to inter-particle welding during collision events. On the other hand, milling of micron-sized Ni and NaCl powders resulted in a layered particle morphology and continuous decrease in particle size with increasing milling time.     

Magnet–PNIPA hydrogels for bioengineering applications

Temperature-sensitive Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPA gels were synthesized with micron-sized iron and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) particles to investigate their viability for hyperthermia applications. Induction heating of the magnetic hydrogels with varying concentration of magnetic powder was conducted at a frequency of 375  kHz for magnetic field strength varying from 1.7 kA/m (21 Oe) to 2.5 kA/m (31.4 Oe). It was observed that the maximum temperature induced in the magnetic hydrogels increased with the concentration of magnetic particles and magnetic field strength. The PNIPA gel underwent a collapse transition at 34 °C. It was found that a 2.5 wt.% Fe₃O₄ in PNIPA composite took 260 s to be heated to 45 °C under a magnetic field strength of 1.7 kA/m, the specific absorption rate (SAR) was found to be 1.83. SAR of iron oxide was found to be higher than the SAR of iron.     

Microstructure and magnetic properties of plasma-sprayed Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 coatings

Amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe_73.5Cu₁Nb₃Si_13.5B₉ coatings were formed by plasma-spraying micron-sized powders onto H62 brass substrates and aluminum pipes. The coatings are about 0.2-0.3 mm in thickness with fully dense and low porosity. The microstructure of the coatings is classified into two regions, namely, a full amorphous phase region and homogeneous dispersion of α-Fe nanoscale particles with a scale of 30-70 nm. The hardness of the amorphous and nanocrystalline coatings is about 960 HV_100g. Coercivity (Hc), saturation induction (B₈₀₀), and initial relative permeability (μ_i) of the coatings are 144 A/m, 0.27 T, 249, respectively, under 800 A/m direct current (DC) magnetic field. The magnetic shielding performance is good under DC magnetic field and its magnetic shielding effectiveness (SE) is 10-12 dB at coating thickness of 0.45 mm under static magnetic field of 2-40 Oe. The SE increases by increasing the coating thickness when the magnetic field frequencies are 50, 100 and 200 Hz with an intensity of 0.85 Oe. The results indicate that the amorphous and nanocrystalline alloy coatings can be good for some magnetic shielding applications.     

Magnetic PNIPA hydrogels for hyperthermia applications in cancer therapy

Temperature-sensitive Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPA gels were synthesized with micron-sized iron and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) particles to investigate their viability for combined hyperthermia and drug release applications. The ultimate goal is to combine hyperthermia and triggered drug release. Induction heating of the magnetic hydrogels with varying concentration of magnetic powder was conducted at a frequency of 375 kHz for magnetic field strength varying from 1.7 kA/m to 2.5 kA/m. It was observed that the maximum temperature induced in the magnetic hydrogels increased with the concentration of magnetic particles and magnetic field strength. The PNIPA gel underwent a collapse transition at 34 °C. The best combination was found for the PNIPA–Fe₃O₄ system, 2.5 wt.% Fe₃O₄ in PNIPA–Fe₃O₄ system took 260 s to be heated to 45 °C under a magnetic field strength of 1.7 kA/m and the specific absorption rate (SAR) was found to be 1.83. SAR of iron oxide was found to be higher than the SAR of iron.     

添加剂对铁/聚丙烯酸锂复合微粒-硅油电流变和磁流变效应的影响

采用反相乳液聚合技术合成了铁/聚丙烯酸锂复合微粒, 将其悬浮分散于含有不同添加剂的硅油中形成电磁流变体, 考察了添加剂的种类和用量对复合微粒的电流变和磁流变效应的影响。结果表明, 添加剂对电流变效应有较大影响, 且不同添加剂对电流变效应的影响差别较大, 对磁流变效应的影响却较小。     

The effect of nanocrystalline magnetite size on arsenic removal

Higher environmental standards have made the removal of arsenic from water an important problem for environmental engineering. Iron oxide is a particularly interesting sorbent to consider for this application. Its magnetic properties allow relatively routine dispersal and recovery of the adsorbent into and from groundwater or industrial processing facilities; in addition, iron oxide has strong and specific interactions with both As(III) and As(V). Finally, this material can be produced with nanoscale dimensions, which enhance both its capacity and removal. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential arsenic adsorption by nanoscale iron oxides, specifically magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles. We focus on the effect of Fe₃O₄ particle size on the adsorption and desorption behavior of As(III) and As(V). The results show that the nanoparticle size has a dramatic effect on the adsorption and desorption of arsenic. As particle size is decreased from 300 to 12 nm the adsorption capacities for both As(III) and As(V) increase nearly 200 times. Interestingly, such an increase is more than expected from simple considerations of surface area and suggests that nanoscale iron oxide materials sorb arsenic through different means than bulk systems. The desorption process, however, exhibits some hysteresis with the effect becoming more pronounced with small nanoparticles. This hysteresis most likely results from a higher arsenic affinity for Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. This work suggests that Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals and magnetic separations offer a promising method for arsenic removal.     

Three‐dimensional modelling and simulation of magnetorheological fluids

A magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) is a type of smart fluid composed of micrometer‐sized magnetizable particles suspended in a carrier fluid. The rheological properties of an MR fluid can be greatly altered upon application of an external magnetic field. This paper presents a computational framework for the numerical study of MR fluids, in which a two‐stage modelling and simulation strategy is proposed to achieve reasonable accuracy and computational efficiency. At the first stage for simulating the particle chain formation, the particle dynamics plays a major role whereas the hydrodynamics of the fluid flow is of secondary importance. Thus an MR fluid is modelled in the context of the discrete element method and the simple Stokes formula is adopted for the hydrodynamic interaction. At the second stage, the formulated particle chains are applied as the initial configuration for simulating the rheological properties of the fluid under different shear loading conditions. A combined lattice Boltzmann and discrete element approach is employed to fully resolve the fluid field and the hydrodynamic interactions between the fluid and the particles. Some relevant magnetic models are comprehensively reviewed and the mutual dipole model is employed in this work to account for the magnetic interactions between the particles. The proposed solution procedure is illustrated via a set of numerical simulations for a representative volume element of an MR fluid. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nanocomposite magneto-rheological fluids with uniformly dispersed Fe nanoparticles

A systematic study of the magnetic and rheological properties of magneto-rheological (MR) fluids containing micron-size and nano-size iron particles is presented. The MR fluids were prepared with hydraulic oil as the carrier liquid and lecithin as an effective surfactant medium that promotes uniform particle dispersion. Magnetic measurements on micron-, hybrid-(nano + micron), and nano-MR fluids clearly indicate that the partial replacement of the micro-size particles by nanoparticles results in a better suspension and robust chain formation under applied external magnetic fields. For nano-MR fluids, the measured yield stress was found to be lower than micron-MR fluids. However, better flow properties and sharper magnetic switching make nanoparticle-based MR fluids appealing for microfluidics device applications where higher yield stress is not required.     

Energy conversion in magneto-rheological elastomers

Abstract

Magneto-rheological (MR) elastomers contain micro-/nano-sized ferromagnetic particles dispersed in a soft elastomer matrix, and their rheological properties (storage and loss moduli) exhibit a significant dependence on the application of a magnetic field (namely MR effect). Conversely, it is reported in this work that this multiphysics coupling is associated with an inverse effect (i.e. the dependence of the magnetic properties on mechanical strain), denoted as the pseudo-Villari effect. MR elastomers based on soft and hard silicone rubber matrices and carbonyl iron particles were fabricated and characterized. The pseudo-Villari effect was experimentally quantified: a shear strain of 50 % induces magnetic induction field variations up to 10 mT on anisotropic MR elastomer samples, when placed in a 0.2 T applied field, which might theoretically lead to potential energy conversion density in the mJ cm^-3 order of magnitude. In case of anisotropic MR elastomers, the absolute variation of stiffness as a function of applied magnetic field is rather independent of matrix properties. Similarly, the pseudo-Villari effect is found to be independent to the stiffness, thus broadening the adaptability of the materials to sensing and energy harvesting target applications. The potential of the pseudo-Villari effect for energy harvesting applications is finally briefly discussed.     

Core-shell structured carbonyl iron microspheres prepared via dual-step functionality coatings and their magnetorheological response

The dispersion stability of soft magnetic carbonyl iron (CI)-based magnetorheological (MR) fluids was improved by applying a unique functional coating composed of a conducting polyaniline layer and a multiwalled carbon nanotube nest to the surfaces of the CI particles via conventional dispersion polymerization, followed by facile solvent casting. The coating morphology and thickness were analyzed by SEM and TEM imaging. Chemical composition of the polyaniline layer was detected by Raman spectroscope, which also confirmed the coating performance successfully. The influence of the functional coating on the magnetic properties was investigated by measuring the MR performance and sedimentation properties using a vibrating sample magnetometer, rotational rheometer, and Turbiscan apparatus. Improved dispersion characteristics of the MR fluid were observed.     

Anti-cancer drug loaded iron-gold core-shell nanoparticles (Fe@Au) for magnetic drug targeting

Magnetic drug targeting, using core-shell magnetic carrier particles loaded with anti-cancer drugs, is an emerging and significant method of cancer treatment. Gold shell-iron core nanoparticles (Fe@Au) were synthesized by the reverse micelle method with aqueous reactants, surfactant, co-surfactant and oil phase. XRD, XPS, TEM and magnetic property measurements were utilized to characterize these core-shell nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements showed that the particles were superparamagnetic at room temperature and that the saturation magnetization decreased with increasing gold concentration. The anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto these Fe@Au nanoparticle carriers and the drug release profiles showed that upto 25% of adsorbed drug was released in 80 h. It was found that the amine (-NH2) group of DOX binds to the gold shell. An in vitro apparatus simulating the human circulatory system was used to determine the retention of these nanoparticle carriers when exposed to an external magnetic field. A high percentage of magnetic carriers could be retained for physiologically relevant flow speeds of fluid. The present findings show that DOX loaded gold coated iron nanoparticles are promising for magnetically targeted drug delivery.     

Self-Assembly of Magnetic Nanochains in an Intrinsic Magnetic Dipole Force-Dominated Regime

Magnetic nanoparticle chains offer the anisotropic magnetic properties that are often desirable for micro- and nanoscale systems; however, to date, large-scale fabrication of these nanochains is limited by the need for an external magnetic field during the synthesis. In this work, the unique self-assembly of nanoparticles into chains as a result of their intrinsic dipolar interactions only is examined. In particular, it is shown that in a high concentration reaction regime, the dipole–dipole coupling between two neighboring magnetic iron cobalt (FeCo) nanocubes, was significantly strengthened due to small separation between particles and their high magnetic moments. This dipole–dipole interaction enables the independent alignment and synthesis of magnetic FeCo nanochains without the assistance of any templates, surfactants, or even external magnetic field. Furthermore, the precursor concentration ([M] = 0.016, 0.021, 0.032, 0.048, 0.064, and 0.096 m ) that dictates the degree of dipole interaction is examined—a property dependent on particle size and inter-particle distance. By varying the spinner speed, it is demonstrated that the balance between magnetic dipole coupling and fluid dynamics can be used to understand the self-assembly process and control the final structural topology from that of dimers to linear chains (with aspect ratio >10:1) and even to branched networks. Simulations unveil the magnetic and fluid force landscapes that determine the individual nanoparticle interactions and provide a general insight into predicting the resulting nanochain morphology. This work uncovers the enormous potential of an intrinsic magnetic dipole-induced assembly, which is expected to open new doors for efficient fabrication of 1D magnetic materials, and the potential for more complex assemblies with further studies.