Electrorheological properties of algae dispersed suspension: New application of harmful algae

The algae has been considered as a bane which should be removed due to its harmful influences on human health and aquatic ecosystems. Recently, various applications of the algae have been studied as a new alternative method instead of its sequestration, to treat vast algae blooms. Herein, algae particles dispersed suspensions have been investigated as a promising new application to electrorheological fluids without any further processing, such as chemical modification, extraction and carbonation. Algae particles dispersed silicone-oil suspensions exhibited good electrorheological properties under DC electric fields, and their electrorheological performances were enhanced with increase of electric fields. The alignment of algae particles along DC electric fields in the suspension, that inhibits the suspension flow by the drag of the dangling alignments and consequently increases the viscosity of the suspension, was observed under the electric fields. The ER properties of algae particles dispersed suspensions were same with (or similar to) those of cellulose phosphate dispersed suspension (yield stress: ca. 400 Pa at 3 kV/mm; polarizability, Δε: ca. 0.35) owing to the phosphate groups in the algae particles. Our research has demonstrated that the electrorheolgical fluids is very promising for the ecofriendly application of the mass-producing algae particles.