Ferro-fluid sculpture

Posted by Dan on Apr 7th, 2008
2008
Apr 7

A ferro-fluid consists of magnetic nano-particles suspended in a liquid. The particles are small enough that Brownian motion keeps them from settling to the bottom. If you apply a magnetic field, the particles will move. Surface tension keeps the particles from jumping out of the liquid, so the particles drag the liquid along with them.

Here there are two metal cones standing in a pool of ferro-fluid. Each cone has an electromagnet under it, to create a variable magnetic field.

5 Responses

  1. CET Says:

    Wow!! Fascinating. Do you think the music is controlling the electromagnet? Or was the music composed for the nano dancers?

  2. Dan Says:

    I don’t think there is anything so simple going on as hooking up the speaker wires to the electromagnet under the cone. I suspect that it is difficult to apply enough power to make the liquid move quickly without pulling the nano-particles out through the surface.

  3. TTB Says:

    I guess you don’t want to mainline that stuff right before your next MRI.

    Might be interesting, tho.

  4. CET Says:

    You could embalm a pig and send it through first to see what happens. I understood that the prohibition against metals had more to do with the damage done to the machinery rather than to the patient.

  5. Dan Says:

    Good idea with the pig. I was curious about the MRI, so I found some safety information here:

      http://www.imrser.org/
    

    There does seem to be some concern about patients.

    The issue with the machine seems not to be physical damage, but rather downtime and recalibration (leading to lost revenue).

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