LINEAR NONLINEAR MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

The stress response of an electrorheological (ER) material is modified by the application of an electric field. Various studies have shown that the ER material can behave as a linear viscous, linear viscoelastic, nonlinear viscoelastic, plastic, or viscoelastic-plastic body. Furthermore, several different experimental techniques are conducted to observe the ER material's behavior as a function of strain, strain frequency, field strength, and ER material concentration. Small amplitude dynamic studies are used to observe the ER material's linear viscoelastic properties, while moderate and large amplitude studies are used to observe the material's fundamental nonlinear dynamic properties. Finally, constant shear rate experiments are performed to observe the apparent viscosity of the ER material during flow conditions.