The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 1988
Filed:
Nov. 05, 1985
Norman E Pedersen, Newburyport, MA (US);
Panametrics, Inc., Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for changing the optical and/or physical properties of a fluid composition employ an electric field applied across the fluid for controlling the fluid properties. The fluid consists of a dielectric liquid and an electrically conductive, elongated, fibrous particulate material. The fibrous material has a length between approximately 1000 angstroms and five millimeters, a diameter less than about 700 angstroms, and an aspect ratio of length to diameter greater than about five. The particulate material is in colloidal suspension in the liquid. Generally, when the particles are dispersed in the liquid by Brownian movement forces, the fluid composition has an average separation between particles of approximately three to ten or more times the average length of the particulate material. By varying the direction and/or intensity of the applied electric field, the properties of the fluid to both incident light passing therethrough and, with respect to properties such as viscosity, can be controlled and varied. Relatively low electric fields can be employed, for example, between about 100 and 2,000 volts per centimeter.