Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and

Structures
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Viscoelastic Properties of Magneto- and Electro-Rheological Fluids

Keith D. Weiss, J. David Carlson and Donald A. Nixon
Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures 1994 5: 772
DOI: 10.1177/1045389X9400500607

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 Viscoelastic Properties of Magneto- and
Electro-Rheological Fluids
KEITH D. WEISS,* J. DAVID CARLSON AND DONALD A. NIXON
Lord Corporation, Thomas Lord R&D Center, Cary, NC 27511

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the transition area between elastic and viscous behavior for a
conventional electro-rheological (ER) fluid and a state-of-the-art magneto-rheological (MR) fluid
through the use of oscillatory rheometry techniques. A comparison between the yield behavior
(strain and stress) measured for these two different types of controllable fluids is presented. The data
obtained for MR fluids represents the initial characterization of the pre-yield properties exhibited by
this type of material. Finally, a recommendation as to a key area for future R&D is highlighted.

INTRODUCTION This paper examines the transition area between these

classical
definition, viscoelasticity is the ability of a
BY
material respond to an applied force by exhibiting
to
both elastic and viscous properties depending upon the time
scale of the measurement. Thus under constant deformation
a viscoelastic material is capable of storing part of the input
energy and dissipating the rest of this energy as heat. Upon
removal of the applied force, the deformed material will at-
tempt to recover a portion of its original shape (Ferry, 1970;
Darby, 1976). Since magneto-rheological (MR) and electro-
rheological (ER) fluids are multiphase materials consisting
of a dispersion of polarizable particles in a carrier oil, they
exhibit properties typical of a viscoelastic material.
In the &dquo;Post-Yield&dquo; regime, ER and MR fluids typically
exhibit viscous properties. In general, the flow properties
exhibited by ER and MR fluids are modeled after a Bingham
plastic (Weiss, Coulter and Carlson, 1993; Weiss et al.,
1993). This model recognizes that the property of an ER or
MR fluid that changes upon the application of an electric or
magnetic field, respectively, is the yield stress defining the
onset of flow. While the dynamic yield stress and plastic vis-
cosity reflects the flow characteristics of these materials, the
static yield stress corresponds to the actual force necessary
to initiate flow within the material. Thus the static yield
stress is one of the material properties that defines the tran-
sition between viscous and elastic behavior for ER and MR
fluids.
In the &dquo;Pre-Yield&dquo; regime, ER and MR fluids typically ex-
hibit elastic properties. The properties exhibited by ER and
MR fluids in this regime are described by the classical rela-
tionships that exist between the storage modulus and loss
modulus (Weiss, Coulter and Carlson, 1993). In addition to
the previously described static yield stress, the transition
from elastic to viscous behavior also is defined by a yield or
ci ; iical strain.
author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Present address: Graco Inc.,
P.O. Box 1441, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1441.
&dquo;Pre-Yield&dquo; and &dquo;Post-Yield&dquo; regimes for a conventional
electro-rheological (ER) fluid through the use of oscillatory
rheometry techniques. This investigation is extended to in-
clude the measurement of the properties exhibited by MR
fluids in this transition area. A comparison between the
yield behavior (strain and stress) measured for these two
different types of controllable fluids is presented. The data
presented for MR fluids represents the initial characteriza-
tion of the pre-yield properties exhibited by this type of
material. Finally, a recommendation as to a key area for
future R&D is highlighted.
EXPERIMENTAL
Materials
The ER and MR fluids utilized in this investigation are
described as ERX-III and MRX-I, respectively. These fluids
are experimental formulations under development by Lord
Corporation. Limited pre-yield data for ERX-III have previ-
ously been published (Coulter, Duclos and Acker, 1989).
This ER fluid exhibits an ER effect upon the application of
a D.C. electric field. Naturally, the MR fluid is activated by
the application of a magnetic field.
Procedure
All pre-yield data were obtained using oscillatory or
dynamic measurement techniques on a strain controlled
rheometer. The frequency range of this instrument was
limited to approximately 1-16 Hertz. All measurements
were obtained using a couette cell test geometry. The work-
ing gap of the ER fluid and MR fluid test cells were 1.0 mm
and 1.5 mm, respectively. All strain sweeps were performed
at a frequency of 1.5 Hertz. All frequency sweeps were per-
formed at a strain level of 0.5 %.

772

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DISCUSSION
Critical or Yield Strain (~y~~~ar)
In conventional dynamic mechanical testing a material is
subjected to a small sinusoidally varying strain wave. The
resulting material response is a small sinusoidally varying
stress wave having the same frequency as the input strain
wave. When in the elastic region, viscoelastic materials will
exhibit an input strain wave and a resulting stress wave that
are in phase with each other. On the other hand, when a
material exhibits entirely viscous behavior the strain and
stress waves are 90 degrees out of phase. In the transition
area between elastic and viscous regions, the amount of
Figure 2. Storage modulus for MRX-I fluid (measured
elastic and viscous behavior exhibited by a material is
quency of 1.5 Hz) plotted as a function of strain.
measured by the degree to which the strain and stress waves
are out of phase, i.e., tan 6.
The strain level where a material begins to transition from
elastic to viscous behavior is typically defined as the yield
or critical strain. Since the shear modulus of a material
measured in the elastic region is only a function of tempera-
ture and frequency, the critical strain represents the strain
level at which the shear modulus deviates from linear be-
havior.
The transition of an ER material from elastic behavior to
viscous behavior has been reported to occur at strain levels
of less than 10% (Weiss, Coulter and Carlson, 1993). More
recently the limit of the linear elastic range for ER fluids has
been suggested to be less than 1% (Goodwin, 1993). Con-
firmation of this limit is provided by the observation that
ERX-III yields at a strain of approximately 0.5 % as shown
in Figure 1. Validation of this yield strain for ERX-III is pro-
vided in an independent investigation using an annular
pumping technique (Don, 1993).
One should note from Figure 1 that the yield strain of the
ERX-III fluid remains constant upon going from a situation
where no electric field is present to one in which an electric
field is applied. This observation is significant because dif-
ferent mechanisms dominate the particle-particle interac-
tions in the off-state and on-state of the material. In the off-
Figure 1. Storage modulus for ERX-III (measured at a frequency of
1.5 Hz) plotted as a function of strain.
Downloaded from jim.sagepub.com at Virginia Tech on August 17, 2014
773
at a fre-
state, stabilization of the particles against flow is provided
by the presence of both Van der Waal and electrostatic in-
teractions. Upon the application of an electric field, dipole
forces caused by particle polarization interplay with the vis-
cous forces attempting to disrupt the stability of the par-
ticles’ structure.
Magneto-rheological materials also exhibit a relatively
low yield strain level. The yield strain observed for the
MRX-I fluid is on the order of 0.8 % as shown in Figure 2.
Similar to the behavior exhibited by ER fluids, the yield
strain observed for this MR fluid does not vary upon going
from the off-state to an on-state.
The yielding of both MR and ER fluids at relatively low
levels of strain « 1 %) may hinder their utilization in ap-
plications, such as adaptive structures, that require stability
in pre-yield properties. If the strain level in these applica-
tions at any time surpasses the yield strain of the MR or ER
fluid, the particle structure will be disrupted. Continual dis-
ruptment of this particle structure will cause excessive parti-
cle sedimentation and a corresponding degradation in prop-
erties. A 20-30% decrease in the storage modulus for the
ERX-III fluid is observed in successive or repetitive testing
of the same fluid sample over the strain range of 1-10%.
Only after redispersing the particles in the carrier medium
at a high strain rate could the original storage modulus value
be returned to the original value. The development of MR
and ER fluids that yield at a higher level of strain will en-
hance the performance of these materials in applications
where particle redispersion is impossible.
Storage Modulus (G’)
The storage modulus of an ER fluid has previously been
demonstrated to increase with an elevation in the applied
electric field strength or frequency (Weiss, Coulter and
Carlson, 1993). In fact, the storage modulus for the ER-III
fluid has been shown to vary by several orders of magnitude
upon increasing the applied electric field from 0 to 4 kV/mm
(Weiss, Coulter and Carlson, 1993; Coulter, Duclos and
Acker, 1989). A variation in frequency has been observed to
774
have a much smaller effect on the magnitude of the storage
modulus. The storage modulus measured at 3.0 kV/mm for
the ERX-III fluid increases from I x 104 Pascals at a fre-
quency of 1.5 Hz (see Figure 1) to approximately 2.5 x 10°
Pascals at a frequency of 200 Hertz (Weiss, Coulter and
Carlson, 1993; Coulter, Duclos and Acker, 1989). The high-
est value of the storage modulus measured for this ER fluid
of 8.0 x 104 Pa (4.0 kV/mm, 200 Hz) is still several orders
of magnitude less than common viscoelastic solids (Weiss,
Coulter and Carlson, 1993; Coulter, Duclos and Acker,
1989) .
MR fluids offer a dramatic improvement over ER fluids in
the magnitude of the storage modulus. The storage modulus
for the MRX-I fluid at low frequency (1.5 Hz) and field
strength (2000 Oersted) is on the order of 2.5 x 106 Pascals
(see Figure 2). An additional increase in the storage modu-
lus can be obtained for this MR fluid by increasing the ap-
plied field strength or the frequency as shown in Figure 3.
The highest measured value of the storage modulus (4.2 x
106 Pascals at 2000 Oersted, 16 Hz) is well within the range
exhibited by common viscoelastic solids. Thus MR fluids
are capable of performing better than ER fluids in damping
applications that require the controllability of stiffness. A
concise summary of these applications and related R&D ef-
forts has previously been published (Coulter, Weiss and
Carlson, 1993).
Loss Factor (Tan 6)
The loss factor of an ER and MR fluid is defined as the
ratio of the loss modulus to the storage modulus. Thus the
loss factor provides a measure of the relative viscous and
elastic behavior exhibited by ER and MR fluids. A material
in the elastic region will exhibit a very small loss factor, typ-
ically less than 0.1, which represents a phase difference be-
tween the input strain wave and the resulting stress wave of
less than about 6 degrees. Pure viscous behavior having a
phase difference between the strain and stress waves of 90
degrees will exhibit an extremely large loss factor.
Figure 3. Storage modulus of MIX-1 fluid (measured at various
magnetic field strengths and a strain of 0.5%) plotted as a function
of frequency.
Downloaded from jim.sagepub.com at Virginia Tech on August 17, 2014
The loss factor measured for ERX-III fluid rapidly rises to
a value of 3.0 after reaching the critical strain level. This
loss factor corresponds to a phase difference in the strain
and stress waves of 71.5 degrees. The loss factor continues
to increase, although more gradually, with the input of
larger levels of strain.
The loss factor measured for a MR fluid is observed to as-
cend more gradually than the loss factor exhibited by an ER
fluid. The loss factor measured for the MRX-I fluid ap-
proaches a value of approximately 1.0 around the strain level
of 7.0 % . This loss factor corresponds to a phase difference
between the strain and stress waves of approximately 45
degrees. A phase difference of 45 degrees represents a
material that exhibits approximately an equal amount of
elastic and viscous behavior. The loss factor continues to in-
crease for this MR fluid with the input of larger levels of
strain.
We note that a change in phase angle preceeds any devia-
tion from linear behavior observed in the storage modulus
measured for the ERX-III and MRX-I fluids. In fact, a phase
difference between the strain and stress waves of approx-
imately 20 to 25 degrees occurs prior to the suggested criti-
cal strain level for each fluid. This occurrence raises the
question as to whether the critical strain should be deter-
mined from the onset of nonlinear behavior in the storage
modulus or a phase difference in the strain and stress waves.
We suggest that the critical strain is more accurately
reflected by the observation of nonlinear behavior in the
storage modulus of the material. Measurement of the static
yield stress exhibited by both ERX-III and MRX-I provides
additional support for this conclusion.
Yield Stress (Tstatic)
The static yield stress for an ER or MR fluid has previ-
ously been defined as the force necessary to initiate flow
within the material. In other words the static yield stress ex-
hibited by a material reflects the yield point of the material.
In a conventional stress versus strain plot this yield point is
represented by coordinates that reflect the static yield stress
and the critical strain. As shown in Figure 4, the critical
strain of the ERX-III and MRX-I fluids is 0.5 % and 0.8 % ,
respectively. For both these fluids the critical strain as deter-
mined from Figure 4 also corresponds to the point where
nonlinear behavior in the storage modulus is first observed
(see Figures 1 and 2).
The static yield stress exhibited by ER-III (Figure 4) is ap-
proximately 120 Pascals at an electric field of 3.0 kV/mm.
This value is considerably lower than the 1270 Pascals value
reported for the static yield stress obtained using a con-
tinuous measurement system (Weiss, Coulter and Carlson,
1993). The discrepancy in the static yield stress values ob-
tained for ERX-III by these two very different methods is at-
tributed to a phenomenon known as &dquo;stiction&dquo;.By definition,
&dquo;stiction&dquo; is a particle jamming or a mechanical restriction
to flow that is highly dependent upon both particle size and
shape, as well as the prior electric field and flow history of
 775

age modulus exhibited by a MR fluid is well within the

range exhibited by common viscoelastic solids. Thus a MR
fluid will exhibit a significant improvement in structural
damping over the effect currently obtained with a conven-
tional ER fluid.
Both ER and MR fluids were observed to yield at a strain
level of less than 1 % . A phase difference between the input
strain and measured stress waves was detected prior to any
deviation of the storage modulus from linear behavior.
However, we suggest that the most accurate description of
the critical strain is represented by the response of the stor-
age modulus exhibited by the controllable fluid. This
recommendation is supported in that the maximum stress
applied to the test samples occurs at the same strain level at
which nonlinearity in the storage modulus is observed. The
yielding of these controllable fluids at a low critical strain
may hinder their utilization in applications, such as adaptive
structures, that require stability in pre-yield properties.
Therefore, one area in which R&D efforts should be focused
is the development of ER and MR fluids that yield at a
higher level of strain.

REFERENCES

Figure 4. Stress measured for ERX-III (3. 0 kV/mm) and MRX-I (2000 Coulter, J. , T. Duclos and D. Acker. 1989. "The Usage of Electrorheolog-
Oersted) plotted as a function of strain. ical Materials in Viscoelastic Layer Damping Applications", presented
at Damping ’89, Palm Beach, FL (*ER-III fluid is described as
ERF/03-145).
Coulter, J. , K. Weiss and D. Carlson. 1993. Journal of Intelligent Material
the material. The ERX-III fluid is known to exhibit this type
Systems and Structures, 4(2):248-259.
of behavior (Weiss, Coulter and Carlson, 1993). Don, D. 1993. "Investigation of ER Material Adaptive Structures", Masters
Thesis, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.
Darby, R. 1976. Viscoelastic Fluids: An Introduction to Their Properties
CONCLUSION and Behavior. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.
Ferry, J. D. 1970. Viscoelastic Properties of Polymers, 2nd Edition. New
York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The transition area between elastic and viscous behavior
Goodwin, J. 1993. Electrorheological (ER) Fluids: A Research Needs
was examined for a conventional electro-rheological (ER)
Assessment, I. Kreiger and E. Collins, eds., Washington, D.C.: U.S.
fluid and a state-of-the-art magneto=rheological (MR) fluid. Department of Energy DOE/ER/30172, pp. 5.6-1-5.6-19.
The &dquo;Pre-Yield&dquo; properties exhibited by MR fluids offer a Weiss, K., J. Coulter and D. Carlson. 1993. Journal of Intelligent Material
key advantage over those observed for ER fluids. The stor- Systems and Structures, 4(1):13-34 (*ER-III fluid is described as
ERF/03-145 and ERF/6533-30B).
age modulus exhibited by a MR fluid ( = 106) Pascals at
Weiss, K., T. Duclos, D. Carlson, M. Chrzan and A. Margida. 1993. SAE
2000 Oersted and 16 Hz) is several orders of magnitude Technical Paper #932451. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive En-
greater than that observed for an ER fluid. In fact, the stor- gineers.

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