FLUID-SOLID MASS-TRANSFER IN MAGNETIC FILTRATION

A theoretical model for the process of magnetic filtration of paramagnetic particles suspended in water and a method for determining the kinetic parameters of the model is proposed. To validate the theory, 10 experimental runs were conducted on a cylindrical filter of 300 mm diameter, containing a concentric iron rod of 250 mm diameter and a bed of spherical iron beads of 8 mm diameter. The suspension was made from iron oxide powder particles in a size range between 2 and 30 mum. The current intensity circulating in the coil which surrounded the filter ranged from 240 to 350 A, and the suspension superficial velocity varied between 1 and 2.2 m/min. The model supposes that the filtration rate is proportional to both the particle concentration in the suspension and the fraction of the iron spheres that are not covered by the deposited paramagnetic particles. The results show that the model can adequately describe the physical phenomena occurring in the filter.