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Quality Control |
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Home → Company → Quality Control
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Ferrofluid-based devices’ performance depends on the quality of the ferrofluid (FF) which, in turn, depends on the properties of the materials used, stability of technological parameters of manufacturing, and ferrofluid’s quality evaluation.
By FF quality we mean its ability to resist sedimentation and coagulation under strong non-uniform magnetic fields. High-quality FF must not only be initially resistant to sedimentation and coagulation, but maintain such ability over time.
Since the dispersed particles come into contact through the protective coating that keeps their concentration from changing under non-uniform magnetic field, it is obvious that the FF quality depends on both the size and elasticity of the coating and on the size of the dispersed particles themselves.
Raw material control is performed using methods of defining its composition, viscosity, electric parameters (which are very sensitive to additive agents), and other properties. To maintain technological parameters, monitoring and testing equipment that allows real-time stability control is used.
Ferrofluid’s quality evaluation takes three stages:
- First, the initial parameters are defined. They characterize colloidal stability: magnetic core, protective film size and elasticity, structuring ability.
- Second, after a non-uniform magnetic field, temperature, and mechanical load have been applied for a short period of time (up to 1 week), the kinetics of these parameters’ modification is observed. The slower the parameters change, the higher is ferrofluid’s quality.
- Third, long-term bench tests (several months long) are conducted with the help of ferrofluid-based device prototypes under normal and extreme operational conditions in order to measure working characteristics’ change. Bench testing are usually conducted when a new type of FF is developed. We have developed new methods and equipment that allow FF’s diagnostics under a non-uniform magnetic field that is 200…16000 as strong as the gravitational field.
List of patents on methods and equipment for ferrofluids' quality control that were elaborated by our specialists
These methods and equipment have allowed optimizing synthesis technology and producing high-quality FF, its distinguishing quality being high performance in devices that use strong non-uniform magnetic fields. It has also allowed final check that eliminates a possibility of shipping defective products to a customer.
The equipment of FerroLabs, Inc. labs and plants allows initial check of material, operating conditions, and quality factor at any stage. It also allows researching ferrofluids and developing new ferrofluid-based devices.
Manufacturing process is fulfilled with due consideration of the production quality. Product line is continuously checked for quality parameters at each stage.
FerroLabs, Inc. runs plants where FF and ferrofluid-based devices can be made, with accordance to the international quality parameters.
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