Shear history effect of magnetorheological fluids

The rheological properties of magnetorheological (MR) fluids are usually determined by particle structures and polarized particle interactions. However, the particle structures may undergo various evolutions at different shear states and history; this evolution leads to shear stress hysteresis. Therefore, the shear history effect of MR fluids was experimentally investigated in this study. In a shear rate ramp test, the shear stress at low shear rate was higher in the shear rate ramp-down process than in the shear rate ramp-up process. If the next shear test started after a rest time, the start shear stress decayed slowly and approached the original value of the first test when the interval was long enough. The MR fluids also displayed obvious hysteresis loops during the current ramp test. A high shear rate and magnetic field could reduce the shear history effect by accelerating particle structure evolutions, and then hysteresis decreased. This effect was ascribed to the evolution of particle structures during different test modes and durations, and the evolution is governed by interparticle interactions, viscous forces, and the Brownian motions of particles. These results indicated that the accuracy of the force control of MR fluids could be enhanced under high magnetic fields and high shear rates. Thus, these factors should be considered in MR actuator designs.