Electrorheological fluids and methods
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsPeter F. Green, Ernest C. McIntyre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electrorheological fluids and methods include changes in liquid-like materials that can flow like milk and subsequently form solid-like structures under applied electric fields; e.g., about 1 kV/mm. Such fluids can be used in various ways as smart suspensions, including uses in automotive, defense, and civil engineering applications. Electrorheological fluids and methods include one or more polar molecule substituted polyhedral silsesquioxanes (e.g., sulfonated polyhedral silsesquioxanes) and one or more oils (e.g., silicone oil), where the fluid can be subjected to an electric field.
Claims30
An electrorheological (ER) fluid comprising a suspension of an amphiphile in an oil, wherein the amphiphile is an amphiphilic polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane.
An electrorheological (ER) fluid comprising a suspension of a sulfonated siloxane cage compound in a polydimethylsiloxane oil (PDMS),wherein the suspension comprises greater than 1% (v/v) and less than or equal to 30% (v/v) of the sulfonated silsesquioxane cage compound.
An electrorheological (ER) fluid comprising a suspension of a sulfonated siloxane cage compound and a polymeric material in an oil, wherein the suspension comprises 0.1-10% by weight of the cage compound and 5-50% by weight of the polymeric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.