Suspensions of magnetic nanoparticles or ferrofluids can be effectively controlled by magnetic fields, which opens up a fascinating field for basic research into fluid dynamics as well as a host of applications in engineering and medicine. The introductory chapter provides the reader with basic information on the structure, and magnetic and viscous properties of ferrofluids. The bulk of this monograph is based on the author's own research activity and deals with ferrohydrodynamics, especially with the magnetoviscous effects. In particular, the author studies in detail the interparticle interactions so far often neglected but of great importance in concentrated ferrofluids. The basic theory and the most recent experimental findings are presented, making the book interesting reading for physicists or engineers interested in smart materials.

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of the physics of hysteresis in magnetism and of the mathematical tools used to describe it. Hysteresis in Magnetism discusses from a unified viewpoint the relationsof hysteresis to Maxwells equations, equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics, non-linear system dynamics, micromagnetics, and domain theory. These aspects are then applied to the interpretation of magnetization reversal mechanisms: coherent rotation and switching in magnetic particles, stochastic domain wall motion and the Barkhausen effect, coercivity mechanisms and magnetic viscosity, rate-dependent hysteresis and eddy-current losses. The book emphasizes the connection between basic physical ideas and phenomenological models of interest to applications, and, in particular, to the conceptual path going from Maxwells equations and thermodynamics to micromagnetics and to Preisach hysteresis modeling. - The reader will get insight into the importance and role of hysteresis in magnetism; In particular, he will learn: - which are the fingerprints of hysteresis in magnetism - which are the situations in which hysteresis may appear - how to describe mathematically these situations - how to apply these descriptions to magnetic materials - how to interpret and predict magnetic hysteresis phenomena observed experimentally

Magnetic control of the properties and the flow of liquids is a challenging field for basic research and for applications. This book is meant to be both an introduction to, and a state-of-the-art review of, this topic. Written in the form of a set of lectures and tutorial reviews, the book addresses the synthesis and characterization of magnetic fluids, their hydrodynamical description and their rheological properties. The book closes with an account of magnetic drug targeting.

The use of alternative energy forms and transfer mechanisms is one of the key approaches of process intensification. In recent years, significant amounts of research have been carried out in developing chemical processing technologies enhanced by plasma, electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic and ultra-sound waves and high gravity fields. Discussing the broad impact of alternative energy transfer technologies on reactions, separations and materials synthesis, this book reports on recent breakthrough results in various application areas. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current developments in the field. The book enables industrialists, academics and postgraduates in alternative-energy based processing to see the potential of alternative energies for green chemistry and sustainability of chemical manufacturing.

This book is the second edition of Soft Actuators, originally published in 2014, with 12 chapters added to the first edition. The subject of this new edition is current comprehensive research and development of soft actuators, covering interdisciplinary study of materials science, mechanics, electronics, robotics, and bioscience. The book includes contemporary research of actuators based on biomaterials for their potential in future artificial muscle technology. Readers will find detailed and useful information about materials, methods of synthesis, fabrication, and measurements to study soft actuators. Additionally, the topics of materials, modeling, and applications not only promote the further research and development of soft actuators, but bring benefits for utilization and industrialization. This volume makes generous use of color figures, diagrams, and photographs that provide easy-to-understand descriptions of the mechanisms, apparatus, and motions of soft actuators. Also, in this second edition the chapters on modeling, materials design, and device design have been given a wider scope and made easier to comprehend, which will be helpful in practical applications of soft actuators. Readers of this work can acquire the newest technology and information about basic science and practical applications of flexible, lightweight, and noiseless soft actuators, which differ from conventional mechanical engines and electric motors. This new edition of Soft Actuators will inspire readers with fresh ideas and encourage their research and development, thus opening up a new field of applications for the utilization and industrialization of soft actuators.

Designed to make life a little easier by providing all the theoretical background necessary to understand sound reproduction, backed up with practical examples. Specialist terms - both musical and physical - are defined as they occur and plain English is used throughout. Analog and digital audio are considered as alternatives, and the advantages of both are stressed. Audio is only as good as the transducers employed, and consequently microphone and loudspeaker technology also feature heavily - making this the most comprehensive, up-to-date text currently available on all aspects of sound reproduction.