Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Mir, L..
Behavior of nonmagnetic objects within separator is essentially function of density, and independent of size or shape of objects. Results show close agreement between density of object and apparent density of ferrofluid required to float it. Results also demonstrate that very high separation rates are achievable by ferrofluid sink-float separation.
Ferrofluids are colloidal dispersions of subdomain magnetic solids in carrier liquids. In the presence of a non-homogeneous magnetic field, ferrofluids exert a pressure on immersed nonmagnetic objects in the opposite sense of the field gradient. This pressure force can, when opposite to gravity, levitate objects of higher density than the ferrofluid. This levitation technique can be used to separate solids according to density. Its application to the separation of nonferrous metals from shredded automobiles has been demonstrated on a prototype of a full-scale separator. Its use to recover nonferrous metals from municipal solid wastes also seems practical.