SAI INTERNATIONAL

SCHOOL

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

STUDY OF FERRO FLUIDS

GUIDEDBY- SUBMITTED BY-

MR.CH.JAGAN PRAHARAJ SEIKH GAZANFER
AHMMED
CLASS-12 'l'
ADMISSION NO-10513
AISSCE ROLL NO-
 CFRTIFICATE
This is to certify hereby that ,the original and the
genuine investigation work has been carried out
to investigate about the subject matter and related
data collection and the investigation has been
completed solely ,sincerely and satisfactorily by
SEIKH GAZANFER AHMMEDof CLASS
12'l',SAl INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ,regarding
the projecttitled"STUDY OF FERRO FLUIDS" in
accordance with the conditions downed by CBSE
under the sincere guidance of MR.CH. JAGAN
PRAHARAJ during the academic year 2021-
2022.

External Examiner Internal Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I SEIKH GAZANFER AHMMEDof class Xll I
would like to express with utmost pleasure my
sincere gratitude and thanks to my respected
chemistryteacher Mr CH. JAGAN PRAHARAJ as
well as our respected Sr. Principal Mr.
NILAKANTHA PANIGRAHI who handed me the
topic"STUDY OF FERRO FLUIDS" which helped
me doing a lot of research and through this I
came to know about so many types of tests and
things. I would also like to be grateful near them
for their valuable guidance, support and
supervision all through this project.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude

two other people who have a helpful hand in
various stages of this project.
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT ON
DETAILED STUDY OF FERRO FLUIDS.
CONTENTS:
-INTRODUCTION
-THEORY
-NORMALFIELD INSTABILITY
-COMMONFERROFLUID SURFACTANTS
-MATERIALS REQUIRED
-PROCEDURE
-PRECAUTIONS
-CONCLUSION
-APPLICATIONS
-BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION:
Ferrofluid is a liquidthat is attractedto the poles
of a magnet. It is a colloidal liquid made
of nanoscale ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic,
particles suspended in a carrier fluid (usually
an organic solvent or water). Each magnetic
particle is thoroughly coated with a surfactant to
inhibit clumping. Large ferromagnetic particles
can be rippedout of the homogeneouscolloidal
mixture, forming a separate clump of magnetic
dust when exposed to strong magnetic fields. The
magnetic attractionof tiny nanoparticles is weak
enough that the surfactant's Van der Waals
force is sufficientto prevent magnetic clumping
or agglomeration.Ferrofluidsusually do not
retain magnetization in the absence of an
externallyapplied field and thus are often
classified as "super paramagnets" ratherthan
ferromagnets.

In contrast to ferrofluids, magnetorheological

fluids (MR fluids) are magnetic fluids with larger
particles. That is, a ferrofluidcontains primarily
 nanoparticles, while an MR fluid contains primarily
micrometre-scale particles. The particles in a
ferrofluidare suspended by Brownian motion and
generally will not settle under normal conditions,
while particles in an MR fluid are too heavy to be
suspended by Brownian motion. Particles in an
MR fluid will therefore settle over time because of
the inherent density difference between the
particles and their carrier fluid. As a result,
ferrofluidsand MR fluids have very different
applications.
A process for making a ferrofluidwas invented in
1963 by NASA's Steve Papell to create
liquid rocket fuel that could be drawn toward a fuel
pump in a weightless environmentby applying a
magnetic field.121 The name ferrofluidwas
introduced, the process improved, more highly
magnetic liquids synthesized, additional carrier
liquids discovered, and the physical chemistry
elucidated by R. E. Rosensweig and colleagues.
In addition Rosensweig evolved a new branch of
fluid mechanics termed ferrohydrodynamics which
sparked furthertheoreticalresearch on intriguing
physical phenomena in ferrofluids.
THEORY:
Ferrofluids are composed of very small nanoscale
particles (diameter usually 10 nanometers or less)
of maqnetite, hematite or some other compound
containing iron, and a liquid (usually u). This is
small enough for thermal agitation to disperse
them evenly withina carrier fluid, and for them to
contribute to the overall magnetic response of the
fluid. This is similar to the way that the ions in an
aqueous paramagnetic salt solution (such as an
aqueous solution of copper(ll)
sulfate or manqanese(ll) chloride) make the
solution paramagnetic. The composition of a
typical ferrofluidis about 5% magnetic solids,
10% surfactant and 85% carrier, by volume.

Particles in ferrofluidsare dispersed in a liquid,

often using a surfactant, and thus ferrofluids
are colloidal suspensions —materials with
properties of more than one state of matter. In this
case, the two states of matterare the solid metal
and liquid it is in.L21
This abilityto change phases
with the application of a magnetic field allows
them to be used as seals, lubricants, and may
open up further applications in
future nanoelectromechanicalsvstems.

True ferrofluidsare stable. This means that the

solid particles do not agglomerate or phase
separate even in extremelystrong magnetic
fields. However, the surfactant tends to break
down over time (a few years), and eventually the
nano-particles will agglomerate, and they will
separate out and no longer contribute to the fluid's
magnetic response.

The term maqnetorheoloqical fluid (MRF) refers to

liquids similar to ferrofluids (FF) that solidify in the
presence of a magnetic field. Magnetorheological
fluids have micrometrescale magnetic particles
that are one to three orders of magnitude larger
than those of ferrofluids.
However, ferrofluids lose their magnetic properties
at sufficiently high temperatures, known as
the Curie temperature.
NORMAL FIELD
INSTABILITY:
When a paramagnetic fluid is subjected to a strong
vertical maqnetic field, the surface forms a regular
patternof peaks and valleys. This effect is known
as the Rosensweig or normal-fieldinstability.The
instability is driven by the magnetic field; it can be
explained by considering which shape of the fluid
minimizes the total energy of the system.

From the point of view of magnetic-energy, peaks

and valleys are energetically favorable. In the
corrugated configuration, the magnetic field is
concentrated in the peaks; since the fluid is more
easily magnetized than the air, this lowers the
magnetic energy. In consequence the spikes of
fluid ride the field lines out into space until there is
a balance of the forces involved.

At the same time the formation of peaks and

valleys is resisted by qravitv and surface tension.
It requires energy both to move fluid out of the
valleys and up into the spikes, and to increase the
surface area of the fluid. In summary, the
formation of the corrugations increases the surface
free energy and the gravitational energy. of the
liquid, but reduces the magnetic energy. The
corrugations will only form above a critical
magnetic field strenqth, when the reduction in
magnetic energy outweighs the increase in
surface and gravitation energy terms.

Ferrofluid simulations for different parameters of

surface tension and magnetic field strengths.

Ferrofluids have an exceptionally high maqnetic

susceptibilitv and the critical magnetic field for the
onset of the corrugations can be realised by a
small bar magnet.

SurfaceTension
COMMON FERROFLUID
SURFACTANTS:
The soapy surfactants used to coat the
nanoparticles include, but are not limited to:
. oleic acid
. tetramethvlammoniumhvdroxide
. citric acid
soy lecithin
These surfactants prevent the nanoparticles from
clumping together, so the particles can not fall out
of suspension nor clump into a pile of magnetic
dust on near the magnet. The magnetic particles
in an ideal ferrofluidnever settle out, even when
exposed to a strong magnetic field. A surfactant
has a polar head and non-polar tail (or vice
versa), one of which adsorbs to a nanoparticle,
while the non-polar tail (or polar head) sticks out
into the carrier medium, forming an inverse or
regular micelle, respectively, around the particle.
electrostatic repulsion then prevents
agglomeration of the particles.

While surfactants are useful in prolonging the

 settling rate in ferrofluids, they also hinder the
fluid's magnetic properties (specifically, the
fluid's maqnetic saturation). The addition of
surfactants (or any other foreign particles)
decreases the packinq density of the
ferroparticles while in its activated state, thus
decreasing the fluid's on-state viscositv, resulting
in a "softer"activated fluid. While the on-state
viscosity (the "hardness" of the activated fluid) is
less of a concern for some ferrofluidapplications, it
is a primary fluid property for the majority of their
commercial and industrial applications and
therefore a compromise must be met when
considering on-state viscosity versus the settling
rate of a ferrofluid.

sur

magnetic
particle
MATRERIALS REQUIRED :
50mL liquid laser printer toner
Glass beaker
Graduated cylinder
Stirrer
30mL corn oil
Neodymium magnet
PROCEDURE:
1. Measure 50mL of toner in the graduated
cylinder and pour it into the beaker.
2. Next, measure 30mL of corn oil and pour it into
the beaker.
3. Use the stir to mix the toner and the corn oil.
You want the solution to be as homogeneous as
possible.
Safety Tip!! Always use caution with neodymium
magnets. They are very powerful and will crush
fingers, erase credit cards and damage
computers.
4. Now its time to experiment with your ferrofluid.
Place the neodymium magnet near the outside of
the beaker. Observe what happens to the
ferrofluid. You can try moving the magnet around
and experimenting with applying it at different
distances. If you have magnets of different
strengths, you can experiment with the effects of
those as well, or using more than one magnet at
once.
PRECAUTIONS:
If your ferrofluidisn't creating the spikes and
valleys you expected, you might need to add less
corn oil. The thinnerthe ferrofluid,the less defined
shapes you'll have with the magnet. Also, make
sure you use a neodymiummagnet or other rare
Earth magnet. These are strong and produce
much bettereffects than magnets you would buy
for your fridge.
CONCLUSION:
Ferrofluid has numerous current and potential
applications; in addition to being of value
educationally and aesthetically (after being
subjected to magnetic fields), it is also utilized for
audio loudspeakers, medical innovations(such as
a component of either a research tool, a
diagnostic aid, or a treatment modality), and
seals. Although the authors' patient did not
experience any acute or chronic toxicity from his
cutaneous exposure to ferrofluid,conservative
follow-up for individuals who experience skin
contact withferromagnetic fluid may be
appropriate.
APPLICATIONS:
Electronic devices:
Ferrofluids are used to form liquid seals around
the spinning drive shafts in hard disks. The
rotatingshaft is surroundedby magnets. A small
amount of ferrofluid,placed in the gap between the
magnet and the shaft, will be held in place by its
attractionto the magnet. The fluid of magnetic
particles forms a barrier which prevents debris
from entering the interiorof the hard drive.
According to engineers at Ferrotec, ferrofluidseals
on rotatingshafts typically withstand 3 to 4
psi; additionalseals can be stacked to
form assemblies capable of withstanding higher
pressures.

Mechanical engineering:
Ferrofluids have friction-reducingcapabilities. If
applied to the surface of a strong enough magnet,
such as one made of neodymium,it can cause
the magnet to glide across smooth surfaces with
minimal resistance.
Ferrofluidscan also be used in semi-active
dampers in mechanical and aerospace
applications. While passive dampers are generally
bulkier and designed for a particular vibration
source in mind, active dampers consume more
power. Ferrofluid based dampers solve both of
these issues and are becoming popular in the
helicopter community, which has to deal with large
inertial and aerodynamic vibrations.

Cell Separations:
Ferrofluids conjugated with antibodies or common
capture agents such as Streptavidin (SA) or rat
anti-mouse lg (RAM) are used in Immunomagnetic
separation, a subset of Cell sortinq.These
conjugated ferrofluids are used to bind to target
cells, and then magnetically separate them from a
cell mixtureusing a low-gradientmagnetic
separator. These ferrofluidshave applications
such as Cell Therapv, Gene therapy, Cellular
manufacturinq, among others.

Medical applications:
Several ferrofluids were marketed for use
as contrast aqents in maqnetic resonance
imaging, which depend on the difference in
magnetic relaxation times of different tissues to
provide contrast. Several agents were
 introduced and then withdrawn from the market,
including Feridex I.V. (also known as Endorem
and ferumoxides), discontinued in 2008; resovist
(also known as Cliavist), 2001 to 2009; Sinerem
(also known as Combidex), withdrawnin
2007; Lumirem (also known as Gastromark),
1996 to 2012; Clariscan (also known as
PEG-fero, Feruglose, and NCI 00150),
development of which was discontinued due to
safety concerns.
BIBLIOGRAPHY-
-WIKIPEDIA
-WWW.STUDY.COM
-WWW.CHEMISTRYWORLD.COM
-GOOGLE IMAGES