The role of surface tension in magnetorheological adhesion

Abstract

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are colloidal suspensions of magnetizable particles that exhibit an increase in the yield stress and in the apparent viscosity when a magnetic field is applied. It has been shown previously that MR fluids can also be used for field-controlled static adhesion to non-magnetic surfaces. Here we demonstrate the important role surface tension plays in this adhesion and that the adhesive property is not related to the shear resistance of the field-dependent yield stress, as previously proposed.