Use of High-Gradient Magnetic Fields for the Separation of Macromolecules

Abstract

High gradient magnetic field separation (HGMS) has been used to separate several types of > 1 μm sized ferro- or paramagnetic particles from bulk streams. The majority of the studies have been carried out using a single ferromagnetic wire or wire mesh to produce the field gradients necessary for particle capture. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of using HGMS on < 1 μm entities for the purpose of macromolecular separations. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate that HGMS techniques can be used to capture 0.1 μm diam latex beads from a paramagnetic salt solution passing through a columnar bed of ferro-magnetic spheres.