PECULIAR FEATURES IN THE RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL SUSPENSIONS

Studies have been made of concentrated (up to 60%) diatomite suspensio ns in transformer oil, the structure and rheological properties of whi ch depend on an applied electric field. Studies have been conducted of steady-state and transient regimes of straining involving continuous and periodic shear. The structure in such suspensions is formed in the presence of an electric field of 10(-3)-10(2) duration. The suspensio ns under continuous stationary strain behave as non-Newtonian fluids w ith a yield stress dependent on electric intensity. Under periodic def ormation conditions the test suspensions exhibit elasticity which abru ptly diminishes with increasing deformation amplitude.