Make your own ferrofluid in 5 minutes

Step 3 Mix It!

Pour some oil into a mixing cup. Add a bit of the ink, and stir it into the oil. You're making a suspension, so the ink won't dissolve in the oil. Just stir it. Keep on adding ink and stirring until you have a thick solution. There's no exact science to this. A good guideline for identifying a well-mixed fluid is that if you tip your mixing cup, the fluid should ooze rather than slosh.

Comments

[bits1bytes2]

A typical ferrofluid is about 5% magnetic solids, 10% surfactant, and 85% carrier, by volume.
- magnetic solids: come from the MICR
- surfacant : either itric acid or oleic acid (which I prefer)
- carrier: veggie oil or kerosene (which is better)

So.... for a 100ml total volume, 5ml of MICR, 10ml acid, and 85ml of kerosene.

An MSDS for this can be found at www.teachersource.com/Images/UserDir/FF310MSDS.pdf

[s4mm77]

Wouldn't you need more MICR since the ingredient isn't pure?

[soroka69]

No, no more than 10% of the total volume

[nickangel1]

You said "some oil" and "a bit of ink". Can you please tell a good ratio between how much oil and how much developer?? Thanx ANYWAY AWESOME INSTRUCTABLE.. :) you're great