Abstract
The dynamics of superparamagnetic particles subject to competing magnetic and viscous drag forces have been examined with a uniform, stationary, external magnetic field. In this approach, competing drag and magnetic forces were created in a fluid suspension of superparamagnetic particles that was confined in a capillary tube; competing viscous drag and magnetic forces were established by rotating the tube. A critical Mason number was determined for conditions under which the rotation of the capillary prevents the formation of chains from individual particles. The statistics of chain length was investigated by image analysis while varying parameters such as the rotation speed and the viscosity of the liquid. The measurements showed that the rate of particle chain formation was decreased with increased viscosity and rotation speed; the particle dynamics could be quantified by the same dimensionless Mason number that has been demonstrated for rotating magnetic fields. The potential for enhancement of mixing in a bioassay was assessed using a fast chemical reaction that was diffusion-limited. Reducing the Mason number below the critical value, so that chains were formed in the fluid, gave rise to a modest improvement in the time to completion of the reaction.
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Acknowledgments
The project described was supported by Award Number P42ES004699 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. This work was also supported by Grant 200911634 from NIAID, NIH and by USDA Grant Number 2009-35603-05070. The assistance of Jon Nellis in building the optical system is greatly appreciated.
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Lee, JT., Abid, A., Cheung, K.H. et al. Superparamagnetic particle dynamics and mixing in a rotating capillary tube with a stationary magnetic field. Microfluid Nanofluid 13, 461–468 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-0981-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-012-0981-z