Temperature-dependent material properties of the components of magnetorheological fluids

Material properties of the components of magnetorheological (MR) fluids are critical to their control accuracy and service life. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of temperature on the material properties of MR fluid components. In this paper, a detailed introduction to the components of MR fluids, including main performance indicators and commonly used materials, was presented at first. Then, theoretical analysis and experimental investigation were performed on the temperature-dependent material properties of MR fluid components. These material properties included the magnetization properties of the magnetic particle, as well as the shear viscosity and thermal expansion of the carrier fluid. Experimental results indicated that both the mass magnetization and coercivity of MR particles decreased as the temperature increased and the phenomenon was particularly obvious at high temperatures. Moreover, an increasing temperature could lead to a severe decrease of the shear viscosity and a relatively large thermal expansion of the carrier fluid. Research results from this study may serve to provide a theoretical and an experimental basis for the preparation of MR fluids with high thermal stability.