Preparation of titanium dioxide nano-particles modified with poly (methyl methacrylate) and its electrorheological characteristics in Isopar L

In this paper, we reported a novel non-aqueous electrorheological (ER) fluid structured by TiO 2 nano-particle-modified poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA/TiO 2 ) dispersed in low viscosity Isopar L and its electrorheological behaviors were researched. Titanium dioxide nano-particles modified with poly (methyl methacrylate) were prepared via in situ polymerization and characterized by Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetry, and transmission electron microscopy. The thickness of the cladding layer of nano-titanium dioxide surface was about 2∼3 nm, and the cladding rate was 1.437 %. A non-aqueous electrorheological (ER) fluid was constituted by PMMA/TiO 2 particles dispersed in Isopar L. The influence of the electric field intensity, the mass concentration of the PMMA/TiO 2 , and the temperature on the electrorheological properties of ER fluid were discussed, respectively. The research results showed that the ER fluid performed a well rheological property when an external electric field was applied, and with the increase of the electric field intensity, from 0 to 4.5 kV/mm, the shear stress was increased from about 3 to 30 Pa. Meanwhile, the electrorheological effect and shear stress were also strengthened with temperature elevated, and the mass concentration of PMMA/TiO 2 particles increased in dispersed system, respectively.