A new shear stress model of magnetorheological gels considering interchain interactions

Magnetorheological gels (MRGs) have better anti-settling performance than magnetorheological fluids (MRFs). Currently, the research on the properties of MRGs mostly depends on experimental characterization, and the theoretical analysis and model description are still lacking. In this work, a new model was established to describe the shear stress of MRGs. Different from the traditional chain models for magnetorheological materials, the proposed model can take into account not only the interactions within the chain but also the interactions with other chains. The contributions of particles and carriers to shear stress under different fields were also analyzed. A new description for the magnetization of MRGs was proposed and compared with the Frohlich-Kennelly equation. The calculated results of the proposed model were compared with experiment and it is found that both are in good agreement. This work can better predict the rheological properties of MRGs under different conditions and is also useful for the design of magnetorheological devices. Graphical Abstract Highlights The proposed model can take into account not only the interactions within the chain but also the interactions with other chains. A new description for the magnetization of MRGs was proposed. The contributions of particles and carriers to shear stress under different fields were analyzed.