Review of the Electrorheological (Er) Effect of Polyurethane-based Er Fluids

Abstract

Electrorheological fluids (ERF) change viscosity when an electric field is applied. A special type of ERF consists of polyurethane particles which are doped with Li+ and /or Zn2+ cations and suspended in silicone oil. This article gives an overview of the temperature dependent behavior of the ER effect for these fluids and describes the basic principles how this is explained. Chemical analyses provide information as a basis for a polarization model in several dimensions down to molecular size.

Keywords

• electrorheological fluids
• viscosity-temperature dependence
• polyurethan-based er suspensions
• polarization model