Abstract
We have investigated the orientational distribution and magneto-rheological characteristics of a disk-like hematite particle dispersion by means of Brownian dynamics simulations. In the situation of a strong applied magnetic field, the particles can freely rotate about the magnetic moment direction together with their magnetic moment aligning along the magnetic field direction, which leads to a linear peak-type orientational distribution, not a single peak-type distribution that is usual for a ferromagnetic particle dispersion. Since the magnetic moment is more strongly restricted to the magnetic field direction with increasing field strength, the viscosity due to the magnetic properties of the particles increases more significantly. An increase in the magnetic particle-particle interaction strength leads to a decrease in the viscosity, and in the range of a magnetic interaction strength where column-like clusters are formed, the viscosity does not show a significant change with increasing magnetic interaction strength.
