Magnetic Separation
Magnetic separation is the process of separating components of mixtures by using magnets to attract magnetic materials. The process that is used for magnetic separation detaches non-magnetic material with those that are magnetic. This technique is useful for not all, but few minerals such as ferromagnetic (materials strongly affected by magnetic fields) and paramagnetic (materials that are less affected but the effect is Aneurysmal) such. This technique is useful in not only in the separation of waste materials but also in the scientific laboratories for fracing and purifying substances.
In the process of the magnetic separation, the sources of magnetic field are permanent magnets which generate constant magnetic fields. These permanent magnets are composed from the alloys of rare earth, Cobalt and Iron.
Principle of Magnetic Separation
The principle of magnetic separation is that materials are mainly susceptible to magnetic fields and can be magnetically separated from non-magnetic materials. Coke and many kinds of waste and minerals can be processed using magnetic separation. Metal ores that are magnetic are concentrated by a magnetically induced an industrial process. Ferrite and permanent magnets are used in the process of magnetic separation.
Process of Magnetic Separation
The process of magnetic separation begins with a mixture of materials to be separated - which can consist of either liquid suspensions or dry bulk materials.
When a magnetic field is applied, each separate particle is subjected to a force along the direction of the magnetic field gradient. Whenever a force is applied, the particles experience a displacement.
The magnitude of the force is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field and can be programmed as per the requirement in the laboratory. The most common separation fraction is achieved by a certain speed of the magnetic field. As the material enters the magnetic field, the force of the magnets causes the particles to separate.
By arranging the field strength in different locations, the separate magnetic particles are directed to the respective locations in a controlled manner. The different locations may have different speeds, which then affects the force by which the components are separated. Both strong and weak magnetic force fields can be used.
For example, paramagnetic particles (weakly magnetized) require relatively weak magnetic field forces to separate them, while ferromagnetic particles (strongly magnetized) require much higher field forces to separate them. Thus, some specific locations may require the use of a weak field to separate the paramagnetic particles and a strong field to separate the ferromagnetic particles.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Magnetic Separation
Magnetic separation is a process in which magnetically susceptible material is extracted from a mixture using a magnetic force. A separation process is used to transform a mixture of materials into two or more distinct products. The process can be used to separate any type of material, as long as there is a difference in the degree of magnetization.
Advantages:
Magnetic separation is a very efficient method for separating mixtures that contain a great deal of magnetic components, as compared to other separation methods, such as filtration.
It is also the least expensive and simplest method for removing unwanted materials from a mixture.
The process is easily automated and can be used on a large scale.
Disadvantages:
The process only works with ferromagnetic materials, not paramagnetic materials as they dont contain enough magnetic properties.
The process can also cause particles to become magnetized, which makes them difficult to separate.
It produces large amounts of waste material which may contain hazardous substances.
Conclusion
Magnetic separation is a process used to separate materials from those that are less or nonmagnetic. All materials have a response when placed in a magnetic field, although with most, the effect is considerably weak. It is necessary to use a medium such as a liquid, to maintain the separation of the unknown material. Magnetic separation is a method of waste management where magnets are used to separate metal from refuse. This is accomplished by moving the material across a powerful magnetic field. The solid particle components of the mixed molecules are separated by magnetic force, while the liquid phase remains. This method is useful in separating components of mixtures both in research and industrial applications.
