Research on electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids in Finland

K. K. Makela - M. Saynatjoki

VTT Manufacturing Technology, P. O. Box 1702, Fin-02044 VTT (Espoo), Finland

Abstract
The Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) is the leading research institute in the field of electro- (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) fluids in Finland. VTT is an impartial expert organization, which carries out technical and technoeconomic research services in order to improve the competitiveness of companies, to diversify the structure of Finnish industry and to develop the infrastructure of our society. The research on ER and MR fluids at VTT is strongly concentrated on the development of technical applications and commercial fluids for Finnish industry. Different kinds of ER and MR fluids for various uses have been studied. There are several types of mechanisms proposed for the ER and MR effect. In this work the authors have found particle polarization and chaining to be the only model that can be reasonably explained. As a summary from our testing we have found that both ER and MR fluids have the potential of playing an important role in mechanical engineering in the future. Their sophisticated nature and in future the hybrid characteristics of the materials classified between fluids and solids will give us great advantages when building new, completely different kinds of devices. Table 1, Figs 6, Refs 6.