Modulatory character of microwave reflection behavior in electrorheological fluids

Abstract

The microwave reflection behavior of electrorheological (ER) fluids containing TiO2 coated Kaolinite and Y doped BaTiO3 was investigated in the case that the direction of the TE10 module to the electrical field is vertical. We found that the reflection coefficient of TiO2 coated Kaolinite and Ydoped Ba TiO3 based ER fluids increased with the electrical field. However, the increase of reflection coefficient of Ydoped BaTiO3 based ER fluid was more significant compared with that of TiO2 coated Kaolinite. At the same time, the reflection coefficient of Y doped BaTiO3 ER fluid showed strong dependence on particle volume fraction. There was a critical volume fraction. When the volume fraction was lower than this critical value, the reflection coefficient gradually increased, otherwise the reflection coefficient initially increased and then decreased with electrical field. It was also found that the reflection wave phase of TiO2 coated Kaolinite ER fluid initially increased and reached its maximum value, then declined to a constant. The reflection wave phase of Y doped BaTiO3 ER fluid, however, steadily increased with the electrical field. We considered that the modulatory character of microwave reflection behaviors was attributed to the change in structure, electric properties of ER fluids and dispersed phase under electric field.