This study investigated the effect of the alternating electric field intensity on the generating mechanism of the specific flow structures of the particle dispersion type functional fluid. These specific flow structures contribute actively to a polishing process and to the development of micro fluidic devices. This functional fluid, which consists of suspended micro scale diamond particles in insulated silicon oil, has two specific flow structures under a high-voltage alternating electric field. One is a reciprocating flow structure formed under low electric field intensity and high-frequency conditions and the other is rotational flow structure formed under high-electric-field intensity and low-frequency conditions. This rotational flow structure is induced by the local accreted flows indicated as the characteristic velocity. The electric field intensity affects the movements of the local accreted particle that induce the accreted flow between the electrodes.
