FABRICATION AND VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF PVC COATED MAGNETITE AGGLOMERATES IN MAGNETO-RHEOLOGICAL SUSPENSION.

LCMP, Department of Condensed Matter Physics & Material Sciences S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700 098, India The present work reports the synthesis of polyvinylchloride encapsulated superparamagnetic magnetite micro-agglomerates. These were characterized with scanning as well as transmission electron micrographs, and X-ray diffraction. Magneto-rheological fluids were produced by dispersing these particles in various concentrations in castor oil, which is the carrier fluid here. The viscoelastic characterization of these fluids were made at room temperature, under different shear rates, both with and without magnetic field. The behaviour of the fluids was modelled as a Herschel-Bulkley fluid. Overall, these fluids have been found to have desirable and usable properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]