Enhanced electrorheological fluids using anisotropic particles

The electrorheological (ER) phenomenon is widely attributed to the chaining of micron-sized polarizable particles when subjected to an external electric field. It has been hypothesized that the strength of the particle-particle interactions determines the rheological properties of ER fluids. On the basis of an electrostatic polarization model, we proposed that by controlling the geometry of the particles, the dielectric properties of ER fluid can be enhanced, resulting in increased strength of the particle-particle interactions. In this work, we have developed systems featuring anisotropic particles and conducted a systematic study of the role of particle geometry in the response of ER fluids. Our findings appear to be in agreement with the electrostatic polarization model. (C) 1998 The Society of Rheology.