Extending homogeneous fluidization flow regime of Geldart-A particles by exerting axial uniform and steady magnetic field

The homogeneous/particulate fluidization flow regime is particularly suitable for handling the various gas–solid contact processes encountered in the chemical and energy industry.This work aimed to extend such a regime of Geldart-A particles by exerting the axial uniform and steady magnetic field.Under the action of the magnetic field,the overall homogeneous fluidization regime of Geldart-A magnetizable particles became composed of two parts:inherent homogeneous fluidization and newly-created magnetic stabilization.Since the former remained almost unchanged whereas the latter became broader as the magnetic field intensity increased,the overall homogeneous fluidization regime could be extended remarkably.As for Geldart-A nonmagnetizable particles,certain amount of magnetizable particles had to be premixed to transmit the magnetic stabilization.Among others,the mere addition of magnetizable particles could broaden the homogeneous fluidization regime.The added content of magnetizable particles had an optimal value with smaller/lighter ones working better.The added magnetizable particles might raise the ratio between the interparticle force and the particle gravity.After the magnetic field was exerted,the homogeneous fluidization regime was further expanded due to the formation of magnetic stabilization flow regime.The more the added magnetizable particles,the better the magnetic performance and the broader the overall homogeneous fluidization regime.Smaller/lighter magnetizable particles were preferred to maximize the magnetic performance and extend the overall homogeneous fluidization regime.This phenomenon could be ascribed to that the added magnetizable particles themselves became more Geldart-A than-B type as their density or size decreased.

Improved Particle Swarm Optimization for Parameter Identification of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

In the process of identifying parameters for a permanent magnet synchronous motor,the particle swarm optimization method is prone to being stuck in local optima in the later stages of iteration,resulting in low parameter accuracy.This work proposes a fuzzy particle swarm optimization approach based on the transformation function and the filled function.This approach addresses the topic of particle swarmoptimization in parameter identification from two perspectives.Firstly,the algorithm uses a transformation function to change the form of the fitness function without changing the position of the extreme point of the fitness function,making the extreme point of the fitness function more prominent and improving the algorithm’s search ability while reducing the algorithm’s computational burden.Secondly,on the basis of themulti-loop fuzzy control systembased onmultiplemembership functions,it is merged with the filled function to improve the algorithm’s capacity to skip out of the local optimal solution.This approach can be used to identify the parameters of permanent magnet synchronous motors by sampling only the stator current,voltage,and speed data.The simulation results show that the method can effectively identify the electrical parameters of a permanent magnet synchronous motor,and it has superior global convergence performance and robustness.

Preparation and Analysis of Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Used as Targeted-drug Carriers

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by the aqueous co-precipitation of FeCl3-6H2O and FeCl2-4H2O with addition of ammonium hydroxide. The conditions for the preparation of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were optimized, and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles obtained were characterized systematically by means of transmission electron microscope （TEM）, dynamic laser scattering analyzer （DLS） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results revealed that the magnetic nanoparticles were cubic shaped and dispersive, with narrow size distribution and average diameter of 11.4 nm. It was found that the homogeneous variation of pH value in the solution via the control on the dropping rate of aqueous ammonia played a critical role in size distribution. The magnetic response of the product in the magnetic field was also analyzed and evaluated carefully. A 32.6 mT magnetic field which is produced by four ferromagnets was found to be sufficient to excite the dipole moments of 0.05 g Fe3O4 powder 2 cm far away from the ferromagnets. In conclusion, the Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with excellent properties were competent for the magnetic carders of targeted-drug in future application.

Surface modification of Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles and their magnetic properties

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method, and the influences of the surfactant sodium bis（2-ethylhexyl） sulfosuecinate （AOT） on the particles were investigated. The structure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, and vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. It is confirmed that the as-prepared nanoparticles have been modified by using the surfactant during the synthesis process. The amount of the surfactant has an effect on the size, the dispersal, and the magnetic properties of the particles. Besides, the mechanisms of the influences were also discussed.

Effects of Magnetic Particles Entrance Arrangements on Mixing Efficiency of a Magnetic Bead Micromixer

In this study, a computer code is developed to numerically investigate a magnetic bead micromixer under different conditions. The micromixer consists of a microchannel and numerous micro magnetic particles which enter the micromixer by fluid flows and are actuated by an alternating magnetic field normal to the main flow. An important feature of micromixer which is not considered before by researchers is the particle entrance arrangement into the micromixer. This parameter could effectively affect the micromixer efficiency. There are two general micro magnetic particle entrance arrangements in magnetic bead micromixers: determined position entrance and random position entrance. In the case of determined position entrances, micro magnetic particles enter the micromixer at specific positions of entrance cross section. However, in a random position entrance,particles enter the microchannel with no order. In this study mixing efficiencies of identical magnetic bead micromixers which only differ in particle entrance arrangement are numerically investigated and compared.The results reported in this paper illustrate that the prepared computer code can be one of the most powerful and beneficial tools for the magnetic bead micromixer performance analysis. In addition, the results show that some features of the magnetic bead micromixer are strongly affected by the entrance arrangement of the particles.

In Vitro Targeted Magnetic Delivery and Tracking of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles Labeled Stem Cells for Articular Cartilage Defect Repair

To assess a novel cell manipulation technique of tissue engineering with respect to its ability to augment superparamagnetic iron oxide particles （SPIO） labeled mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） density at a localized cartilage defect site in an in vitro phantom by applying magnetic force. Meanwhile, non-invasive imaging techniques were use to track SPIO-labeled MSCs by magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）. Human bone marrow MSCs were cultured and labeled with SPIO. Fresh degenerated human osteochondral fragments were obtained during total knee arthroplasty and a cartilage defect was created at the center. Then, the osteochondral fragments were attached to the sidewalls of culture flasks filled with phosphate-buffered saline （PBS） to mimic the human joint cavity. The SPIO-labeled MSCs were injected into the culture flasks in the presence of a 0.57 Tesla （T） magnetic force. Before and 90 min after cell targeting, the specimens underwent T2-weighted turbo spin-echo （SET2WI） sequence of 3.0 T MRI. MRI results were compared with histological findings. Macroscopic observation showed that SPIO-labeled MSCs were steered to the target region of cartilage defect. MRI revealed significant changes in signal intensity （P0.01）. HE staining exibited that a great number of MSCs formed a three-dimensional （3D） cell ＂sheet＂ structure at the chondral defect site. It was concluded that 0.57 T magnetic force permits spatial delivery of magnetically labeled MSCs to the target region in vitro. High-field MRI can serve as an very sensitive non-invasive technique for the visualization of SPIO-labeled MSCs.

High-gradient magnetic field-controlled migration of solutes and particles and their effects on solidification microstructure:A review

We present a review of the principal developments in the evolution and synergism of solute and particle migration in a liquid melt in high-gradient magnetic fields and we also describe their effects on the solidification microstructure of alloys.Diverse areas relevant to various aspects of theory and applications of high-gradient magnetic field-controlled migration of solutes and particles are surveyed.They include introduction,high-gradient magnetic field effects,migration behavior of solute and particles in high-gradient magnetic fields,microstructure evolution induced by high-gradient magnetic fieldcontrolled migrations of solute and particles,and properties of materials modified by high-gradient magnetic field-tailored microstructure.Selected examples of binary and multiphase alloy systems are presented and examined,with the main focus on the correlation between the high-gradient magnetic field-modified migration and the related solidification microstructure evolution.Particular attention is given to the mechanisms responsible for the microstructure evolution induced by highgradient magnetic fields.

Magnetohydrodynamic approach of non-Newtonian blood flow with magnetic particles in stenosed artery

The non-Newtonian blood flow, together with magnetic particles in a stenosed artery, is studied using a magneto-hydrodynamic approach. The wall slip condition is also considered. Approximate solutions are obtained in series forms under the assumption that the Womersley frequency parameter has small values. Using an integral transform method, analytical solutions for any values of the Womersley parameter are obtained.Numerical simulations are performed using MATHCAD to study the influence of stenosis and magnetic field on the flow parameters. When entering the stenosed area, blood velocity increases slightly, but increases considerably and reaches its maximum value in the stenosis throat. It is concluded that the magnitude of axial velocity varies considerably when the applied magnetic field is strong. The magnitude of maximum fluid velocity is high in the case of weak magnetic fields. This is due to the Lorentz's force that opposes motion of an electrically conducting fluid. The effect of externally transverse magnetic field is to decelerate the flow of blood. The shear stress consistently decreases in the presence of a magnetic field with increasing intensity.

Application of Magnetic Particle Imaging to Pulmonary Imaging Using Nebulized Magnetic Nanoparticles

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of applying magnetic particle imaging (MPI) to pulmonary imaging using nebulized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and to quantify the mucociliary clearance in the lung, using small animal experiments. Materials and Methods: Intrapulmonary administration of MNPs was performed in seven-week-old male ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice (n = 8) using a nebulized microsprayer connected to a high-pressure syringe containing 50 μL of MNPs (500 mM Resovist®). We imaged the lungs using our MPI scanner 2.5 hours, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days after the intrapulmonary administration of MNPs. The average MPI value was calculated by drawing a region of interest (ROI) on the lungs by taking the threshold value for extracting the contour as 20% of the maximum MPI value within the ROI. The MPI value was defined as the pixel value of the transverse image reconstructed from the third-harmonic signals. Mice were sacrificed immediately after the last MPI and X-ray CT studies on day 7, and 5 lobes of the lung in each mouse were extracted to confirm the accumulation of iron using Berlin blue staining. Results: We could visualize the distribution of MNPs in the lungs as positive contrast using MPI with use of nebulized MNPs. The presence of iron in the lung was confirmed by Berlin blue staining. The average MPI value decreased with time and tended to saturate. The clearance rate was calculated to be 0.505 day−1 from the time course of the average MPI value in the lungs. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that MPI can be applied to pulmonary imaging by nebulizing MNPs and can be useful for quantifying the mucociliary clearance in the lung.

Purification, Immobilization and Characterization of Lipase Isoenzyme from <i>Aspergillus niger</i>with C8 Magnetic Particles

The purification of a lipase isoenzyme from an Aspergillus niger lipase A is reported in this manuscript. Purification was carried out in a simple adsorption step, in which the lipase was offered at low ionic strength to the commercially available C8 modified magnetic particles, MaKProt C8. When the isoenzyme was desorbed with a 0.2% solution of Triton X-100, the SDS-PAGE gel showed a single pure band with a molecular weight of 35 KDa. The purified fraction showed 66.75-fold purification compared with the crude extract. The pure fraction was characterized along with the crude extract and the lipase adsorbed on the MaKProt C8. The purified and the adsorbed lipase showed better activity for the tested substrates (p-nitrophenyl acetate, decanoate, myristate and palmitate) than the crude extract, the preferred substrates being myristate (26.7 μmol·min-1·mg-1) and decanoate (17.4 μmol·min-1·mg-1), respectively. The temperature and pH profiles showed no change for the three enzymes, the optimum temperature being 37°C and the best pH 7.0.

Synthesis and Characterization of Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂Core-Shell Composite Nanoparticles

The Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were obtained from as-synthesized magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles through the modified St?ber method. Then, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Recently, the studies focus on how to improve the dispersion of composite particle and achieve good magnetic performance. Hence effects of the volume ratio of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and magnetite colloid on the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the composite nanoparticles were systematically investi-gated. The results revealed that the Fe3O4@SiO2 had better thermal stability and dispersion than the magnetite nanoparticles. Furthermore, the particle size and magnetic property of the Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the volume ratio of TEOS and magnetite colloid.

Effect of Zn Substitution on the Magnetic Properties of Cobalt Ferrite Nano Particles Prepared Via Sol-Gel Route

Zinc substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoxZn1-xFe2O4, with x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.0) were prepared via sol-gel route and the effect of zinc concentration on saturation magnetization and lattice parameter were investigated. The particle sizes of the as obtained samples were found to be ~10 nm which increases upto ~92 nm on annealing at 1000oC. The frequency bands near 564-588 cm-1 and 425-442 cm-1 are assigned to the tetrahedral and octahedral clusters which confirm the presence of M-O stretching band in ferrites. The unit cell parameter ‘a’ increases linearly with increasing concentration of zinc due to larger ionic radii of Zn2+ ion . It was found that this substitution allows tunable changes in the magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite. Interestingly, saturation magnetization first increases upto x = 0.4 and then decreases for higher Zn substitution, thus tunable changes in magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite are possible. Source of such behaviour could be the variation of exchange interaction between the tetrahedral and the octahedral sites.

Magnetic Particle Imaging for Magnetic Hyperthermia Treatment: Visualization and Quantification of the Intratumoral Distribution and Temporal Change of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Vivo

Purpose: Magnetic hyperthermia treatment (MHT) is a strategy for cancer therapy using the tem-perature rise of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Re-cently, a new imaging method called magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has been introduced. MPI allows imaging of the spatial distribution of MNPs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of visualizing and quantifying the intratumoral distribution and temporal change of MNPs and predicting the therapeutic effect of MHT using MPI. Materials and Methods: Colon-26 cells (1 × 106 cells) were implanted into the backs of eight-week-old male BALB/c mice. When the tumor volume reached approximately 100 mm3, mice were divided into untreated (n = 10) and treated groups (n = 27). The tumors in the treated group were directly injected with MNPs (Resovist?) with iron concentrations of 500 mM (A, n = 9), 400 mM (B, n = 8), and 250 mM (C, n = 10), respectively, and MHT was performed using an AMF with a frequency of 600 kHz and a peak amplitude of 3.5 kA/m. The mice in the treated group were scanned using our MPI scanner immediately before, immediately after, 7 days, and 14 days after MHT. We drew a region of interest (ROI) on the tumor in the MPI image and calculated the average, maximum, and total MPI values and the number of pixels by taking the threshold value for extracting the contour as 40% of the maximum MPI value (pixel value) within the ROI. These parameters in the untreated group were taken as zero. We also measured the relative tumor volume growth (RTVG) defined by (V-V0)/V0, where V0 and V are the tumor volumes immediately before and after MHT, respectively. Results: The average, maximum, and total MPI values decreased up to 7 days after MHT and remained almost constant thereafter in all groups, whereas the number of pixels tended to increase with time. The RTVG values in Groups A and B were significantly lower than those in the control group 3 days or more and 5 days or more after MHT, respectively. The above four parameters were significantly inversely correlated with the RTVG values 5, 7, and 14 days after MHT. Conclusion: MPI can visualize and quantify the intratumoral distribution and temporal change of MNPs before and after MHT. Our results suggest that MPI will be useful for predicting the therapeutic effect of MHT and for the treatment planning of MHT.

Synthesis of TBP-coated magnetic Pst-DVB particles for uranium separation

Magnetically assisted chemical separation process is an efficient method used widely in separating radionuclides and heavy metals in environmental samples. It is simple, compact and cost-effective, with less secondary waste streams. Tributyl phosphate(TBP)-coated magnetic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene)(Pst-DVB)nano-particles were synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, thermogravimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The application of TBP-coated magnetic Pst-DVB particles in separating low concentration of uranium from aqueous media was evaluated, and the equilibrium adsorption isotherm was investigated. Our results indicate that the TBP-coated magnetic Pst-DVB particles may be of potential application for uranium separation.

Preparation and drug releasing property of magnetic chitosan-5-fluorouracil nano-particles

In order to synthesize the targeting drug carrier system,magnetic chitosan-5-fluorouracil nano-particles were prepared by using 5-fluorouracil(5-Fu)as model drug,Fe3O4 nano-particles as kernel,chitosan as enveloping material and glutaraldehyde as cross linking agent through ultrasonic technique.The morphology of the magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles was observed with a transmission electron microscope(TEM).The results showed that magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles were prepared in spherical structure with a size range of 50-60 nm.The delivering capacity and drug releasing properties of magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles were investigated by UV-vis spectrum analysis.The results showed that the loading capacity was 13.4%and the cumulative release percentage in the phosphate buffer(pH=7.2)solutions was 68%in 30 h.These data indicate that the wrapped drug of magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles was slowly-released.The magnetic response of magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles was studied by UV-vis spectrometer to detect the changes of solution absorbance.Without external magnetic field,the nano-particle deposition rate was slow.When being subjected to 8 mT magnetic field,the particle sedimentation rate was increased rapidly.The results showed that magnetic chitosan-5-Fu nano-particles have a magnetic stability and strong targeting characteristics.

Separation efficiency of alumina particles in Al melt under high frequency magnetic field

The effects of separation time and magnetic induction intensity on the separation efficiency of alumina particles with diameters varying from 30 to 200 μm in aluminum melt were investigated. The experimental results show that the particle-accumulated layer is formed in the periphery of the solidified specimen when the diameter of the separated molten metal, the magnetic induction intensity and the separation time are 10 mm, 0.04 T and 1 s, respectively. When the separation time is 2 s, the particle-accumulated layer can be observed obviously and the separation efficiency is about 80%. There are few alumina particles in the inner of the solidified specimen when the separation time is 3 s. The separation efficiency higher than 85% can be achieved when the separation time is longer than 3 s. When the magnetic induction intensity is 0.06 T, the visible particle-accumulated layer can be formed in 1 s and the separation efficiency is higher than 95%. The experimental results were compared with the calculated results at last.

Interaction forces between soft magnetic particles in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields

The influence of the magnetization of a soft magnetic sphere on the surrounding magnetic field is measured and characterized.The interaction force between two soft magnetic particles is directly measured using an ultra precision load sensor in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields. The interaction force largely follows an inverse fourth power law as a function of separation distance between particle centers. At small distances,the effect of magnetization of one particle on the magnetization of its adjacent particle causes the attractive（repulsive） force to be larger（smaller） than that predicted by the inverse fourth power law.The theoretical prediction based on a modified dipole model,that takes into account the coupling effect of the magnetization among soft magnetic particles,gives excellent agreement with the measured force in a uniform magnetic field.The interaction force under a non-uniform applied magnetic field can be reasonably predicted using the dipole-dipole interaction model when the local magnetic field is used to determine the magnetization.

PREPARATION OF Fe_3O_4/PSt MAGNETIC PARTICLES IN THE PRESENCE OF MAGNETIC FLUID IN ETHANOL/WATER MIXTURE

Fe_3O_4/Polystyrene(PSt) magnetic particles with core/shell structure have been prepared in thepresence of Fe_3O_4 magnetic fluid in ethanol/water medium by dispersion polymeriation of styrene. A Fe_3O_4particle formation mechanism was proposed. According to this mechanism, the size of particle nuclei isdetermined by the extent of aggregation of Fe_3O_4 /oligomer. Magnetic particles with diameter ranging from 5to 200 μm were prepared under different reaction conditions. Some polymerization parameters such as theconcentration of monomer, stabilizer, initiator, and ethanol which affect particle size and size distribution arediscussed and their effect on particle formation are explained by the proposed mechanism.

Fabrication of SrFe_(12-x)Ni_xO_(19) nanoparticles and investigation on their structural, magnetic and dielectric properties

Sr Fe12-xNixO19 nanoparticles(x = 0–1) were synthesized by a combustion sol–gel method. Their structure, dielectric and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), an LCR metry, and vibrating sample magnetometry(VSM).The results reveal that all samples of Ni doped compounds(Sr Fe12-xNixO19) with x < 0.2 are single phase. It appears that the Fe3+ ions are substituted by Ni2+ ions on the crystallographic sites of the Sr Fe12O19 structure; however, for x ≥ 0.2, the secondary Ni phase ferrite(Ni Fe2O3) appears, which reduces the saturation magnetization and coercivity. In addition, Ni doping reduces the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and alternating current(ac) electrical conductivity of the samples. The variation in ac conductivity(σac) with frequency shows that the electrical conductivity in these ferrites is mainly attributed to the electron hopping mechanism.Therefore; all the single-phase Ni doped samples are suitable for use in magnetic recording media and microwave devices.

Motion behavior of non-metallic particles under high frequency magnetic field

Non-metallic particles, especially alumina, are the main inclusions in aluminum and its alloys. Numerical simulation and the corresponding experiments were carried out to study the motion behavior of alumina particles in commercial pure aluminum under high frequency magnetic field. At the meantime, multi-pipe experiment was also done to discuss the prospect of continuous elimination of non-metallic particles under high frequency magnetic field. It is shown that: 1) results of numerical simulation are in good agreement with the experimental results, which certificates the rationality of the simulation model; 2) when the intensity of high frequency magnetic field is 0.06 T, the 30 μm alumina particles in melt inner could migrate to the edge and be removed within 2 s; 3) multi-pipe elimination of alumina particles under high frequency magnetic field is also effective and has a good prospect in industrial application.