New electrorheological fluid obtained from mercaptosilsesquioxane-modified silicate suspensions

Ormosil based on mercaptosilsesquioxane-modified silicate (SiO2/SSQ-SH) particle was prepared by sol–gel process involving a co-condensation of the hydrolyzed 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and tetraetoxysilane (TEOS). The resulting material was characterized by 29Si solid nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (29Si NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The (SiO2/SSQ-SH) particle presents a hierarchical structure, extending from micro to nanoscale and consisting of three structural levels. This SiO2/SSQ-SH particle was used for the first time as the dispersed phase in silicone oil suspension to develop a new electro-rheological fluid with a very good response under the action of electrical field from 1 to 4 kV/mm, whose values are comparable to those exhibited by other conventional ER fluids, under the influence of electric field.