| abstract |
A significant increase in the yield stress of a magnetorheological fluid can be obtained at a given volume fraction of solid magnetic particles by employing as the particulate component a mixture of a first component of relatively large particles and a second component of relatively small particles such that the mean diameter of the large particles is at least 5 times the mean diameter of the small particles. The mixture of large and small particles provides a substantial increase in the yield stress without an increase in the viscosity of the mixture in the absence of a magnetic field. |