Electrorheological Fluids

There are various descriptions of how this technology works but the basic breakdown is like so:
1. A fluid is made up of 2 seperate liquids (ie water and oil). When no electrical field is applied the one liquid is held within the other (ie water held within oil).
2. When an electrical field is applied the one fluid is driven to one side by electro Osmosis. This binds the adjacent particles together into chains which is what we call the solid state. (Electro Osmosis - Osmosis through a membrane that is caused by the action of an electric field, usually such a field generated by two electrodes, one on each side of the membrane) - http://www.yourdictionary.com/electroosmosis

The following link shows a video of Electrorheological Fluids in action:



The electrical field varies depending on the structural rigidity of the forces involved. I will need to conduct an experiment to determine the maximum compressive force involved before making a decision on the suitability of Electrorheological Fluids.