Seminar on

MAGNETIC FLUID
By HIREN HANSALIA Roll no.-14 M.sc (Semester III) Materials Science

Presentation outline
What is Magnetic Fluid? How does it work? Properties. Smart Magnetic Fluid. Applications. Advantages. Limitations. Conclusion. Reference.

Ferrofluids on glass, with a magnet underneath

What is Magnetic Fluid ?

Magnetic fluid is the hypothetical fluid whose
existence was formerly assumed in the explanations of the phenomena of magnetism. Magnetic Fluid is a composite which consists of well dispersed ferromagnetic ultra-fine particles. It acts ferromagnetically as a whole. Magnetic Fluid is composed of base liquid, ferromagnetic particles and chemically adsorbed surfactant.

The base liquids of Magnetic Fluids are normally water, hydrocarbons and perfluoro-polyethers. The ferromagnetic materials used are magnetite and Mn Zn complex ferrite.

How does it work?

The magnetic particles, which are typically micrometer or nanometer scale spheres or ellipsoids, are suspended within the carrier oil are distributed randomly and in suspension under normal circumstances, as below.

Continue.
When a magnetic field is applied, however, the microscopic particles (usually in the 0.1-10 m range) align themselves along the lines of magnetic flux. When the fluid is contained between two poles (typically of separation 0.5-2 mm in the majority of devices), the resulting chains of particles restrict the movement of the fluid, . perpendicular to the direction of flux, effectively increasing its viscosity.

Properties
Base Magnetization (mT) 32 Viscosity at 20/50C (mPa-sec) 30 Specific Gravity at 20C 1.41 Vapor Pressure (Pa) at 20C Trace

Water

Iso-paraffin

33

10-22

1.14

Trace

Alkylnaphthalene

40

280-600

1.34

<10-7

Poly-alpha-olefin

34

50-180

1.20

Trace

Perfluoro-polyether

30

1000-5000

2.19

<10-8

Smart Magnetic Fluid- Ferrofluid

A smart magnetic fluid called ferrofluid has appeared in a new role in the evolution of many technological applications. Ferrofluids are colloidal suspensions of surfactant-coated magnetic particles in a liquid medium, where the sizes of the particles are of several nanometers. They exhibit a variety of unusual properties e.g., In magnetic gradient fields, these fluids exhibit increased viscosity and apparent density.

Application
A number of applications have been proposed, and some of them such as rotating shaft seals, vibration damper, sensor are materialized.
Rotating shaft seal: Damper: Loudspeaker: Sensor: Magneto-optic devices: Vacuum, gas, dust and mist seals Use of viscosity increases in magnetic field Use of damping effect and heat transfer Combination of transformability and magnetic properties Fluids' big double refraction in magnetic field

Many other fruitful applications of Magnetic Fluid follows in the next slides..

Military and Defense Applications

The U.S. Army Research Office is currently
funding research into using Magnetic fluid to enhance body armor. In 2003, researchers stated they were five to ten years away from making the fluid bullet resistant. But as far as India is concerned, usage of Magnetic Fluid in armor has yet not been reported.

Medical Applications
Magnetic Fluids are utilized in semi-active human prosthetic legs. Much like those used in commercial helicopters, a damper in the prosthetic leg decreases the shock delivered to the patients leg when jumping, for example. This results in an increased mobility and agility for the patients.

Optical Applications
Magnetorheological Finishing, a magnetic fluid-based optical polishing method, has proven to be highly precise.

It was used in the construction of the Hubble Space Telescope's corrective lens.

Advantages
Magnetic fluid has several advantages over conventional fluids Low viscous drag, 100% torque transmission, High speed capability, Non contaminating, Long and reliable life, Very good leak tightness, Wide temperature range.

Limitations
Although smart fluids are rightly seen as having many potential applications, they are limited in commercial feasibility for the following reasons: High density, due to presence of iron, makes them heavy. High-quality fluids are expensive. Fluids are subject to thickening after prolonged use and need replacing. Commercial applications do exist, as mentioned, but will continue to be few until these problems (particularly cost) are overcome.

Macro photograph of Ferrofluids influenced by a magnet.

A Ferrofluids in a magnetic field showing normal-field instability caused by a neodymium magnet beneath the dish.

Magnetic fluid kept in a Petridis Looking like stars.

Conclusion
This century has witnessed emergence of many new smart materials, which have found applications in everything from laptop to concrete bridges. Probably it is time to take a glimpse at one such new material, a smart magnetic fluid called Ferrofluids, which has outsmarted many other materials and heralded in an entirely new role in the evolution of many technology. The particles in a Ferrofluids primarily consist of nanoparticles which are suspended by Brownian motion and generally will not settle under normal conditions. As a result, these two fluids have very different applications.

References
1. Introduction to nanotechnology
By: Charles P. Poole Jr. Frank J. Owens (2007)

2. www.sigma-hc.co.jp 3. www.liquidresearch.com