SUBMICRON MAGNETIC PARTICLE SEPARATION

ABSTRACT

The control, collection or separation of particles on the basis of Their magnetic moment relative Co the carrier fluid has been demonstrated in many applications. Usually the particle sizes are larger than one micron and the magnetic susceptibility at least moderately paramagnetic. Recently, particle separation techniques have been developed for both diamagnetic and submicron particles. These techniques have found application in mineral beneficiation, nuclear reactor coolants, biology and medicine. Such developments require an understanding of flow forces in liquids and gases, diffusion and Brownian motion, and of magnetic properties which range from the strong magnetic moments of ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic particles down orders of magnitude to those of diamagnetism.