New way of making a ferrofluid. Costs less than 3$!!!

Step 6 Overview

Magnetize ferro fluid:
Don't forget to strongly magnetize your ferro fluid.
Use biger magnets. Large ferrite magnets are better than small strong neodymium magnets.

Overview:
Bravo! You have made medium quality ferrofluid!

Comments

[Newty]

This does look easy. But I'm not sure I'd call $200 per cup a "very low price" when a $60 per cup result tops a Google search for "buy ferrofluid". Does this instructable produce better quality stuff? To whatnot: The dish soap is the surfactant and also emulsifies the oil and water. Apparently you can make magnetite more soluble in oil or kerosene using oleic acid, or more soluble in water with citric acid. I'm also reading a journal abstract here where they got crazy and dissolved in water particles made of magnetite+styrofoam, coated with oleic acid, surrounded by oil, coated with dodecyl sulfate.

[hcaz-301]

You can buy it for about £10 per 30ml on ebay

[aristide202]

Good comment , compliments.

[beehard44]

yes, it is cheap, but you forgot onne thing, Delivery price. Maybe it is no big deal if you live in the US, but change the setting to the philippines, it's a different story...

[Zujus]

he he ;D This is one of my first instructables, actually it is way better to buy thing if your point is quality. ;) I made better one "Real" ferrofluid so this is very simple and basic version. But still pretty cool ;)

[Darmago]

Could you be a little more specific on how you "magnetize" the ferrofluid, I'm a little confused at this point. Also, why does size matter and not strength for magnetizing it?

[last_decoy]

another good substance is to ask mates or uni ("borrow") finished toner cartridges! there is still always at leased a table spoon of toner powder left in them!! (toner is a magnetic ink) mix this into the substance too. it adds to the effect really well. !! dont make it too weak cause it just flops about after the magnet then !!

[beehard44]

i didn't know that regular toner cartriges use magnetic ink a.k.a. toner...
i thought that a special toner is used for that one...

[aristide202]

Me neither , Are you sure that toner is megnetic ? I thught it was som kind of organic. Anyway iron must be just a part of the compound

[Zujus]

Yea, there was popular instructable about that. :)

[itsthatsguy]

ok the way he made the ferrofluid is by putting amagnet underneath thats what he means by "magnatize" and you do want a strong magnet but you also want one that covers a big surface area so you get a big affect Cheers

[turbosinaboy]

Have someone tried other than edible oil? Like motor oil...

[wolf1234link]

 what if you just pour it out is it like mercury like stays in single drops or is it like water and just flows away

[drayegon]

experiment with differing amounts of oleic acid and types of dish soap. try using colored dish soap green or orange or blue or purple add more tone mix as well. All of this stuff is trial and errrrror!! if i donut work add more RRRRR's Make fun nobody going to buy from your stuff this is not for RE SAIL more like RE SOLE! or is it RE S OLE` dray

[ildiko]

My ferrofluid doesn't show spikes...what could be the problem???

[itsthatsguy]

Hey nice instructable but i have 3 questions plz answer them 1. Your ferrofluid is brown is it supposed to be brown? i though black 2.the magnet your using to make it do the "tricks" does it have to be neomoduyim or an elctromagnet? 3.If you know this, whats the pullforce or "lift" of the magnet you used? thanks for the help Cheers

[Zujus]

1.It supposed to be brown (it is NOT real ferroflui, it is scaled up version with bigger particles) 2. Any speaker magnet will work, no big difference in this situation. 3. No it is just a regular magnet.

[itsthatsguy]

Cool thanks man Cheers

[codesuidae]

Ferrofluid is not supposed to be magnetic. When you take the magnet away it should collapse back to a fluid.

[Whatnot]

It's a nice instructable but I think you need to experiment with the final mixture to make it better, perhaps find an emulsifier to make the mixture smoother.