Electrorheological properties of chitosan suspension

Electrorheological (ER) properties of the chitosan suspension were investig ated by varying electric fields, volume fractions, shear rates, and tempera tures. Chitosan suspension showed the ER response (Bingham fluid behavior) upon application of the electric field due to the polarizability of the bra nched amino polar group of the chitosan particles. The shear stress exhibit ed a linear dependence on the volume fraction and the square of the field s trength. The Arrhenius plot of the data revealed an activation energy of ab out 0.6 kcal mol(-1). On the basis of the experimental results, chitosan su spension correlated with the polarization model and found to be an ER fluid . (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.