LESSON OUTLINE

1. Properties of Ferrofluid
1. Molecular structure
2. Why does it spike?
3. How does it work with the magnet?
2. Making Ferrofluid
1.
3. Important uses of ferrofluid
1. Engineering
2. Art (artist Sachiko Kodama)

FerroFluids
Ferrofluids are made from a suspension of tiny magnetic particles in a liquid such as water or
oil. Such a mixture creates a liquid that can be attracted by a magnetic field. NASA discovered
Ferrofluids at one of their research centers in the 1960's while they were looking for different
methods of controlling liquids in space.
Oil based Ferrofluid
The magnetic materials used are often made from iron or cobalt particles, but compounds such
as manganese zinc ferrite are also used. The most common form of ferrofluid is made using
particles of a type of iron oxide known as magnetite (Fe3O4). Making a stable Ferrofluid is not
quite as simple as mixing tiny particles into a liquid. First of all the particles must be very small.
The average size is around 10nm (0.00000001 meters). These particles can not be made by
crushing or grinding a material, but are precipitated out of a solution during a chemical reaction.
During the precipitation the particles would naturally amalgamate (come together) due to
magnetic and Van der Waals forces. To prevent this the mixture is heated so that thermal motion
of the magnetite particles prevents them from sticking together. In order to prevent the particles
from amalgamating after the reaction they must be kept apart from each other. This can be
archived by coating each particle with another material known as a surfactant (surface active
agent) to produce electrostatic or steric repulsive forces between the particles.
In an oil based ferrofluid, cis-oleic acid can be used as a suffricant. This is a long-chain
hydrocarbon with a polar head that sticks to the surface of the magnetite particles. The long
molecules stick out in all directions around each magnetite particle preventing them from getting
close enough to stick together.
Water based (aqueous) ferrofluids often use ionic sufficants such as tetramethylammonium
hydroxide. The negative hydroxide ions stick to the surface of the magnetite, and the
tetramethylammonium cations form a positively charged layer around the outside. This means
that the magnetite particles are held apart by the electrostatic repulsive force of the surrounding
molecules.
Water Based Ferrofluid
Ferrofluids have several uses due to their magnetic properties. They can be used inside a
magnetized bearing like an o-ring seal so that rotating shafts can pass from high to low pressure

zones and vise versa. This is a much more efficient method than using solid seals as there is
significantly less friction. This makes them ideal for use in submarines, rotating anode x-ray
machines, disk drives, and vacuum chambers with external manipulators.
A more every day use of ferrofluid is in high quality loudspeakers. The fluid is pored into the
magnetic cavity so that it surrounds the coil. This acts as a thermal conductor allowing more
heat to be dissipated so that the speaker can be used at higher power. The fluid also helps to
damp unwanted resonant vibrations giving an better overall sound quality.
How does ferro-fluid work? Do other ferro- materials behave in the same way? Could you make
a material with the properties of ferro-fluid (except the fluid part) into the shape of sheet metal or
something else, some other shape? Is a magnetic shape changing polymer basically a
ferrofluid-like material?
Answer 1:
A ferrofluid is just a fluid with suspended particles of magnetic material (e.g. iron), coated with a
surfactant so that the particles themselves cannot aggregate together. The fluid itself can be just
ordinary water. Because the suspended particles can be magnetized in the presence of a local
magnetic field, they will exert forces on the fluid they are suspended in. Thus, the fluid will
essentially behave as though it were a magnetic liquid, which of course it isn't - it's a nonmagnetic liquid carrying a suspension of solid magnetic particles. No, it's not a magnetic
polymer.

Answer 2:
Ferrofluids are fluids that will react to a magnetic field. They aren't magnetic in the same way as
a bar magnet, though. First, let me describe how a ferrofluid is made. The magnetic material in
a ferrofluid isn't actually a liquid - it's a bunch of nano-sized (really, really tiny) particles
suspended in a liquid. The particles aren't magnetic on their own - they wouldn't stick to your
refrigerator if you put them next to it. The particles are what we call "paramagnetic". This means
that if we place a magnet next to them, the magnetic field will cause the particles to become
polarized. Basically what this means is that the magnetic field turns the particles into little tiny
magnets that will then move around within the magnetic field, much like iron filings on a sheet of
paper. They won't stick to metal like a normal magnet, but they will react with already made
magnets.
Other materials will react in a similar way. Some materials are what we call ferromagnetic - they
can become permanent magnets, and "emit" their own magnetic field. These are the normal
magnets you would see in every day life. Other materials are what we call paramagnetic - they
only become magnets once they are in the presence of a magnetic field. However, most
magnetic materials we encounter in everyday life are just normal solids, so they don't display
the cool looking shapes of ferrofluids.
Many materials have properties similar to ferrofluids, minus the fluid behavior. For example,
aluminum is sometimes considered a paramagnet. This is why a magnet will stick to your
refrigerator (which has an aluminum casing usually), but a normal piece of metal will not. It's not
a permanent magnet - it only displays magnetic behavior when in the presence of a magnet
field.

I'm unfamiliar with magnetic shape changing polymers, but I would suspect that these would
basically be like ferrofluids, assuming they're suspended in some liquid. If you're talking about
just a polymer sitting on it's own like some sort of plastic or Styrofoam that will change it's shape
in a magnetic field, then that probably wouldn't be considered ferro-fluidic, since it's not really a
fluid, but rather an elastic solid. However, it is still probably displaying paramagnetic behavior,
so it would be very similar to a very fluid.
As a kid, you probably played with static electricity and balloons. On a dry winter day, you can
rub a balloon on your sweater and create enough static electricity in the balloon to create a
noticeable force. For example, a balloon charged with static electricity will attract small bits of
paper or particles of sugar very easily.
A copier uses a similar process.
Inside a copier there is a special drum. The drum acts a lot like a balloon -- you can charge it
with a form of static electricity.
Inside the copier there is also a very fine black powder known as toner. The drum, charged with
static electricity, can attract the toner particles.
There are three things about the drum and the toner that let a copier perform its magic:
The drum can be selectively charged, so that only parts of it attract toner. In a copier, you make
an "image" -- in static electricity -- on the surface of the drum. Where the original sheet of paper
is black, you create static electricity on the drum. Where it is white you do not. What you want is
for the white areas of the original sheet of paper to NOT attract toner. The way this selectivity is
accomplished in a copier is with light -- this is why it's called a photocopier!
Somehow the toner has to get onto the drum and then onto a sheet of paper. The drum
selectively attracts toner. Then the sheet of paper gets charged with static electricity and it pulls
the toner off the drum.
The toner is heat sensitive, so the loose toner particles are attached (fused) to the paper with
heat as soon as they come off the drum.
The drum, or belt, is made out of photoconductive material. Here are the actual steps involved
in making a photocopy:
The surface of the drum is charged.
An intense beam of light moves across the paper that you have placed on the copier's glass
surface. Light is reflected from white areas of the paper and strikes the drum below.
Wherever a photon of light hits, electrons are emitted from the photoconductive atoms in the
drum and neutralize the positive charges above. Dark areas on the original (such as pictures or
text) do not reflect light onto the drum, leaving regions of positive charges on the drum's
surface.
Negatively charged, dry, black pigment called toner is then spread over the surface of the drum,
and the pigment particles adhere to the positive charges that remain.
A positively charged sheet of paper then passes over the surface of the drum, attracting the
beads of toner away from it.
The paper is then heated and pressed to fuse the image formed by the toner to the paper's
surface.
This diagram helps see the process:

When the copier illuminates the sheet of paper on the glass surface of a copier, a pattern of the
image is projected onto the positively charged photoreceptive drum below. Light reflected from
blank areas on the page hits the drum and causes the charged particles coating the drum's
surface to be neutralized. This leaves positive charges only where there are dark areas on the
paper that did not reflect light. These positive charges attract negatively charged toner. The
toner is then transferred and fused to a positively charged sheet of paper.
Inside a Photocopier
If you take a photocopier apart, you might be overwhelmed by how many different parts there
are. However, the actual photocopying process relies on only a few, key pieces:
Photoreceptor drum (or belt)
Corona wires
Lamp and lenses
Toner
Fuser
Carrying medications to exact locations within the body
Use as a contrasting agent for MRI scans
Currently, research on using ferrofluids to create an artificial heart with no mechanical parts is
being undertaken by Suprock Technologies. By surrounding the heart with magnets, the
ferrofluid fixed to frame of the heart will expand and contract when needed, imitating the
pumping of the real thing. If developed correctly this system may be a better option than current
heart assist devices because they do not have moving parts, meaning there will be less stress
on the heart and they will also be cheaper.
Further disparate fields in which ferrofluids can be used are:
Heat transfer
Analytical instrumentation
Art
Aerospace
We are only just discovering the full potential of ferrofluids and we are now opening up a world
of opportunity that will hopefully continue to grow rapidly in the next decade.
What is Ferrofluid? A Guide to the Theory, Properties and Applications of Magnetic Fluid
By G.P. Thomas
Ferrofluid: An overview
Theory behind Ferrofluid
Useful Properties and Applications of Ferrofluid
Sources and Further Reading
Ferrofluid: An overview
Ferrofluid sounds like a concept straight from a bad science-fiction film a black, shape-shifting
metallic liquid, that moves and forms spikes using magnetic fields. But ferrofluid is not the
product of studio trickery; it is real and one of the most exciting materials to emerge in modern
times.

NASA first developed ferrofluids in the 1960s whilst researching methods of using liquids in
space, but in the 21st century ferrofluid has found new levels of fame. In recent years, ferrofluid
has also become somewhat of a YouTube sensation, due to the fantastical shapes that it can
create simply using a magnetic field. A great example of this is shown below. However, ferrofluid
is not just an internet curio its inherent pliability opens up a whole range of applications which
are discussed in more detail later.

Theory behind Ferrofluid

The term ferrofluid is a portmanteau of ferromagnetic and fluid and is used to describe a fluid
that is strongly magnetized by a magnetic field. This occurs because the fluid is composed of
tiny magnetic particles, up to 100 times smaller than the wavelength of visible light. The most
common minerals used in making these magnetic particles are iron oxides such as magnetite
(Fe3O4) and hematite (Fe2O3), though other ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic substances can be
used. The particles are usually less than 10nm across.
These tiny particles are suspended in a liquid carrier fluid, which can be water or an organic
solvent. Thus, ferrofluids can be termed colloidal liquids, as they contain evenly dispersed
microscopic particles in another substance.
Once a magnetic field is applied to a ferrofluid, the nanoparticles are attracted and pull the
entire liquid towards the magnetic field. However, if exposed to a strong magnetic force, some of
the nanoparticles can be ripped out from the carrier fluid, forming an incredibly fine dust.
To stop the clumping of the nanoparticles via van der Waals forces, a surfactant (usually a
hydrocarbon) coating is applied to the surface of each of the metallic particles, which overcomes
the weak inter-particle attraction.
The particles suspended in a ferrofluid conform to Brownian motion, which means particle
movement is generally random and the liquid will not settle under standard conditions.
Useful Properties and Applications of Ferrofluid
Aside from being used to create stunning sculptures, ferrofluid also has exciting real world
applications. A major benefit of ferrofluid is that the liquid can be forced to flow via the
positioning and strength of the magnetic field and so the ferrofluid can be positioned very
exactly. Ferrofluids also have the capability of reducing friction, making them useful in a variety
of electronic and transportation applications.
For example, ferrofluids can be used in hydraulic suspension pistons, with the strength of the
magnetic field allowing the suspension to be hard or soft depending on what is necessary.
It can also be used as a liquid seal in many electronic devices. For example, in computer harddrives ferrofluid can be used to form a seal around the rotating shaft. Furthermore, it can be
used in loudspeakers to improve performance.
Ferrofluids could be used to keep us safe too: new body armour is being developed by MIT
which utilises ferrofluid in hollow fibres. This body armour could act as a artificial splint in the
heat of battle.

Ferrofluids also have medical applications and it is hoped that these will increase in the future.
Two examples of on-going research related to ferrofluids are:
Carrying medications to exact locations within the body
Use as a contrasting agent for MRI scans
Currently, research on using ferrofluids to create an artificial heart with no mechanical parts is
being undertaken by Suprock Technologies. By surrounding the heart with magnets, the
ferrofluid fixed to frame of the heart will expand and contract when needed, imitating the
pumping of the real thing. If developed correctly this system may be a better option than current
heart assist devices because they do not have moving parts, meaning there will be less stress
on the heart and they will also be cheaper.
Further disparate fields in which ferrofluids can be used are:
Heat transfer
Analytical instrumentation
Art
Aerospace
We are only just discovering the full potential of ferrofluids and we are now opening up a world
of opportunity that will hopefully continue to grow rapidly in the next decade.
Artificial heart uses ferrofluid to pump blood
16:34 13 June 2012
Health
Technology
Sandrine Ceurstemont, editor, New Scientist TV

Shape-shifting ferrofluid has been used in body armour, but a new prototype is showing that it
could help keep people alive more directly.
Engineer Chris Suprock and his team from Suprock Technologies in Exeter, New Hampshire,
are using ferrofluid to develop an artificial heart with no mechanical parts or motors. The device
takes a novel approach by simulating the way a real heart contracts to move fluid. An early
prototype is made from an elastic membrane containing ferrofluid fixed to a frame. When an
electromagnet underneath is activated, it attracts magnetic particles suspended in the fluid,
causing the "skin" to stretch out. Combining a few of these devices could mimic the pumping
action of a heart.
"Membrane concepts have been explored using pneumatics or hydraulics; however, we are
finding that ferrofluid provides more precise control and is more compact," says Suprock.
"Moreover, the ferrofluid action is electric and can be powered from outside the body without
physical contact."
The team is considering two different designs: one that uses two chambers with valves, and
another less traditional version that uses ferrofluid in a roller pump (see video). According to
Suprock, the second design is more promising because it doesn't require valves or mechanical
obstacles that interrupt flow.

Existing left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs), which are implanted to augment the pumping of
the left ventricle, use turbo pumps that can damage blood because they create shear. A
ferrofluid system that makes a gentler pumping motion would reduce this stress. The system is
also likely be cheaper because it doesn't require bearings or moving parts.
If you enjoyed this post, see a ferrofluid installation that monitors earthquake activity or watch
how a turbine device could keep you alive without a heartbeat.