Relating Mason number to Bingham number in magnetorheological fluids

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are described using two nondimensional numbers, the Bingham and Mason numbers. The Mason number is the ratio of particle magnetic forces to viscous forces and describes the behavior of MR fluids at the microscopic, particle level scale. At the macroscopic, continuum scale, Bingham number is the ratio of yield stress to viscous stress, and describes the bulk motion of the fluid. If these two nondimensional numbers can be related, then microscopic models can be directly compared to macroscopic results. We show that if microscopic and macroscopic forces are linearly related, then Bingham and Mason number are inversely related, or, alternatively, that the product of the Bingham number and the Mason number is a constant. This relationship is experimentally validated based on measurements of apparent viscosity on a high shear rate, γ̇≈10000s-1, Searle cell rheometer. This relationship between Mason number and Bingham number is then used to analyze a Mason number based result, and is also used to inform the MR fluid device design process.