Influence of volume fraction on the yield behavior of giant electrorheological fluid

Abstract

In this letter, we provide a phenomenological model to explain the recently discovered volume fraction effect in giant electrorheological (ER) fluids. We attribute the exponential dependence of yield stress on volume fraction to the repulsive interaction between particle chains. The increase of particle concentration increases the inter-chain repulsive interaction, which raises potential energy in electrorheological fluid and consequently the yield stress. The acquired normal force data validated our model. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.