UROP Project

***High Gradient Magnetic Separation of Paramagnetic Particles Around a Ferromagnetic Wires and Spheres

Magnetophoresis, High Magnetic Field Gradient, Magnetic Convection

Research Mentor: Bilal Dr Mohd Bilal Khan, Bilal
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: mbk23@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr Dr Hadi Mohammadigoushki Hadi
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: hadi.moham@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators: Dr Dr Jamel Ali Ali
Faculty Collaborators Email: jali@eng.famu.fsu.edu

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 4
Relevant Majors: Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Physics
Project Location: 1800 E Paul Dirac Drive, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Close to CoE)
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8 , Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

• Day: Wednesday, September 3
  Start Time: 12:00
  End Time: 12:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94413373308

Project Description

Transport and separation processes are fundamental to a wide range of applications, from water purification and resource recovery to environmental protection, biotechnology, and medical diagnostics, among others. Today, many effective and well-established separation approaches exist, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, and/or magnetic, each with its own limitations based on the physical properties involved in its working principle. Among various separation techniques, magnetic separation (or magnetophoresis) offers several advantages, including being energetically efficient, environmentally benign, and having high selectivity with minimal wear and tear. Magnetophoresis relies on the principles of magnetism to selectively separate materials based on their magnetic properties. Under the influence of an applied magnetic field, a particle with no net charge, experiences a magnetic force that is directly proportional to the magnetic susceptibility of the particle and the magnetic field gradients. Magnetic materials are categorized into paramagnetic and diamagnetic types based on their magnetic susceptibility (χ), with paramagnetic materials exhibiting positive susceptibility (χ > 0) and diamagnetic materials showing negative susceptibility (χ < 0).

Despite advances in high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) for micro- and nano-particles with strong magnetic properties, several challenges remain that hinder a systematic understanding of the transport processes involved. A significant issue is the heterogeneity of the ferromagnetic matrix, which consists of randomly oriented wires. This randomness can lead to spatio-temporal variations in magnetic capture efficiency, complicating accurate modeling of the transport, and fluid flow under an external magnetic field. Additionally, mesh-based systems often encounter clogging issues when processing fine particles, leading to reduced efficiency and operational challenges. To address the complexities of HGMS and gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in this process, several studies have focused on the hydrodynamic interactions between magnetic microparticles and a single wire, specifically examining the flow of particles past a magnetized wire. This approach simplifies the system by isolating the behavior of magnetic particles in proximity to a single ferromagnetic element.
To the best of our knowledge, magnetophoresis of weakly paramagnetic and/or diamagnetic nano-particles around a magnetized wires and spheres has not been investigated experimentally or through numerical simulations. In the absence of inertia and hydrodynamic forces (no bulk flow), magnetic forces might be insufficient to overcome diffusive forces for weakly magnetic nano-particles, which could result in a behavior markedly different from that of larger or strongly magnetic particles. The primary aim of this study is to systematically investigate the magnetophoresis of weakly paramagnetic and diamagnetic nanoparticles in high-gradient magnetic fields, focusing exclusively on the competition between magnetic forces and diffusivity. To achieve this, both experiments and numerical simulations will be conducted in a closed cuvette containing a nano-particle suspension and a ferromagnetic wires and spheres over a broad range of parameters, including wire and sphere size, particle concentration, and external magnetic field strength. The spatio-temporal evolution of particle concentration will be measured and compared with detailed multi-physics numerical simulations developed in this study.



Research Tasks: 1. The goal is to learn the basics of magnetophoresis.
2. Help in the ongoing research on high-gradient magnetic separation.
3. Conduct the data analysis and help in article writing.
4. Present the work at an undergraduate research conference.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: No prior skills are required for this project. Before starting the work, we will train the students. Moreover, sufficient time will be given to the students to learn the basics of the project.