The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology physics department presented a study on the “Influence of liquid Phase on Nanoparticle-based giant electrorheological fluid.” The researchers, Xiuqing Gong and his colleagues, demonstrated how the chemical structures of silicone oils interacting with solid nanoparticles significantly influenced the giant electrorheological (GER) effect. In order to prepare and characterize the nanoparticles used in this study, the researchers used Brookhaven’s NanoBrook 90Plus Particle Size
Analyzer to confirm size distribution. Particle sizing software from Brookhaven Instruments was also used to record the data. The results of the study suggested significant interaction between the solid particles and the oils, which can be tuned by varying either the oil chain lengths or the end groups.
Instruments: