Investigating the Structures of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions-2

InSPACE-2 studied the kinetics of chain formation in DC fields for suspensions of monodisperse, super-paramagnetic colloidal microspheres. Objectives included:
1) To understand the percolation transition of MR suspensions in microgravity and the behavior of structures around this point (incipient structure). The fluctuations of these chains can also be used to estimate the microrheological response of the MR fluid. Additionally, measurements of the chain fluctuations in the final gelled material provide an estimate of the storage modulus of the suspension.
2) To determine the lowest energy configuration of 3D particle structures formed in a magnetorheological (MR) fluid in a pulsed magnetic field. Visual observations of microscopic structures will yield a better understanding of the interplay of the forces and interactions (magnetizing/demagnetizing, surface energy, and repulsion between structures) in MR suspensions. The most important dipolar interactions are the demagnetizing field, surface energy, and repulsion between structures.