Ordered structures in Fe3O4 kerosene-based ferrofluids

The patterns of kerosene-based ferrofluid films in applied parallel and perpendicular-magnetic fields were studied. The time dependence of quasiperiodic chains in a parallel magnetic field, the perfect hexagonal crystal structure in a weaker perpendicular field, and the labyrinthine pattern in a stronger perpendicular field were observed. The Fe3O4 kerosene-based ferrofluids that we used in this study were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. As the parallel external magnetic field was applied to a ferrofluid film, the ordered quasiperiodic chains were obtained. On the other hand, the initial nonequilibrium disordered quantum columns were formed in an applied perpendicular magnetic field, and an equilibrium hexagonal structure with columns occupying its vortices was formed after two hours. The distance between these columns decreases as the strength of the applied magnetic field increases, and hence, the patterns change gradually from the hexagonal structure to a labyrinthine pattern with the strength of the perpendicular field above a critical value. Thus, a phase transition exists in the ferrofluid film system as the field strength increases. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.