Surface modification of particles for preparation of ER and MR suspensions Doctoral Thesis Summary

Miroslav Mrlík

Nowadays, many scientists are focused on the development of the special types of materials, whose properties could be reversibly controlled by an external stimulus. In 1948 Winslow found out phenomenon when suspensions of parti-cles dispersed in liquid medium were able to create internal structures after ap-plication of the external electric field. Similar observations were published by Rabinow in 1953 for suspensions sensitive to application of magnetic field. Development of internal structures results in the change of rheological proper-ties, in some cases in several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, such changes (viscosity or viscoelastic moduli) are reversible and when the external field is switched-off they revert to their original values. Such infinitely reversible change from liquid-like to solid-like state within the few milliseconds falls un-der interest of both academics and engineers.