ELASTOHYDRODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF UNEXCITED ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL FLUIDS

Exploratory test results are presented for a series of mixtures of une xcited electrorheological (ER) fluids under elastohydrodynamic lubrica tion (ehl) conditions, These were obtained from direct observation of film formation in an optical interferometric apparatus. Results are pr esented as photographs of the fluid film and plots of film thickness v ersus speed for a range of ER fluid solid fractions. Adequate film for mation is limited by the tendency of the solid particles to evade the contact region. At very low contact speeds particles enter the ehl con tact and generate a fluid film. At higher speeds the particulates do n ot become entrained in the contact; the film formation is then determi ned by the viscosity of the base fluid.