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We present experimental and theoretical results on the shear thinning of electrorheological fluids. Rheological measurements on a model fluid consisting of monodisperse silica spheres immersed in a dielectric liquid show a power-law dependence \. {}^- of the apparent viscosity on the strain rate \. , with in the range =0. 68--0. 93. We present a theoretical treatment of steady-state cluster formation in applied electric and shear fields, which correctly predicts the observed power-law shear thinning albeit with an exponent =2/3. We observe no true yield stress in this material.
Halsey et al. (Mon,) studied this question.