Using oscillatory shear to probe the effects of bidispersity in inverse ferrofluids

The effects of particle size distribution on the magnetorheological response of inverse ferrofluids was investigated using controlled mixtures of two monodisperse non-magnetisable powders of sizes $4.6\;{\mu}m\;and\;80{\mu}m$ at constant volume fraction of 30%, subjected to large amplitude oscillatory shear flow. In the linear viscoelastic regime (pre-yield region), it was found that the storage and loss moduli were dependent on the particle size as well as the proportion of small particles, with the highest storage modulus occurring for the monodisperse small particles. In the nonlinear regime (post yield region), Fourier analysis was used to compare the behaviour of the $1^{st}\;and\;3^{rd}$ harmonics ($I_{1}\;and\;I_{3}\;respectively$) as well as the fundamental phase angle as functions of the applied strain amplitude. The ratio of $I_{3}/I_{1}$ was found to become more pronounced with decreasing particle size as well as with increasing proportion of small particles in the bidisperse mixtures. Furthermore, the phase angle was able to clearly show the transition from solid-like to viscous behaviour. The results suggested that the nonlinear response of a bidisperse IFF is dependent on particle size as well as the proportion of small particles in the system.