Friction behavior of magnetorheological fluids with different material types and magnetic field strength

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a type of a smart material that can control its mechanical properties under a magnetic field. Iron particles in MR fluid form chain structures in the direction of an applied magnetic field, which is known as MR effect, resulting in variation of stiffness, shear modulus, damping and tribological characteristics of MR fluid. As MR effect depends on the density of particles in the fluid or the strength of a magnetic field, the experiments are conducted to evaluate the friction property under reciprocating motion by changing the types of MR fluid and the strength of a magnetic field. The material of aluminum, brass, and steel are chosen for specimen as they are the most common material in mechanical applications. The surfaces of specimen are also observed by optical microscope before and after experiments to compare the surfaces with test conditions. The comparing results show that the friction coefficient increases as the strength of a magnetic field increases in regardless of types of MR fluid or the material. Also the density of particle in MR fluid affects the friction characteristic. The results from this research can be used to improve the performance of mechanical applications using MR fluid.