SELF-STABILIZED AQUEOUS FERROFLUIDS PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

INTRODUCTION: Ferrofluids are very stable colloidal dispersions of ultra-fine particles of a magnetic material, such as magnetite, in a liquid, which may be chosen to conform to a particular application. A stabilizer or surfactant is usually added at the time of preparation to prevent aggregation of the nanoscale particulate. As a result of their composition, magnetic fluids possess a unique combination of fluidity and the capability to interact with a magnetic field. For magnetic carrier applications, ferrofluids may be thought of as being bi-functional materials with both a magnetic particle and magnetic fluid component.