Electrorheological Fluids Based on Titania Particles Coated with Silica and Their Application in Smart Windows

The electrorheological (ER) fluids are colloidal suspension of highly polarizable particles in a non-conducting solvent. Chains of submicron-sized particles formed along an applied DC electric field by the so-called electrorheological effect. According to the obvious change of transmittance of the ER fluids in a DC electric field when the polarized particles arranged along the field, the model of smart window was proposed by sandwiching the ER fluids based on titania particles coated with silica between a pair of In-Sn oxide (ITO) coated glasses. The solar transmittance change as much as 48.0% was obtained with the wavelength of 500 nm at the maximum on applying and removing the electric field of 500 V/mm.