Controlling friction using magnetic nanofluids

Abstract

We study the thin-film rheological performance of superparamagnetic nanofluids in full film hydrodynamic regime under the presence of external magnetic field gradients. Ferrohydrodynamic Reynolds equation is numerically solved and compared to results obtained from tribo-rheological experiments in model face seals. A theoretical and experimental friction master curve is proposed that satisfactorily captures the lubrication behavior including hydrodynamics and magnetostatics in the problem without any fitting parameter.