2-D simulation of ultra-fine particle capture by a single-wire magnetic collector

A two-dimensional theoretical model for the capture of ultrafine particles on a single-wire HGMS (high-gradient magnetic separator) collector has been developed. A full set of boundary conditions is derived and, in particular, dynamic boundary conditions at the wire surface are formulated. The computational results, showing areas of depletion, accumulation, and saturation as a function of time, predict the behavior of colloidal suspensions under the combined influence of diffusion, magnetic traction, and fluid flow. It is shown that diffusion, not the fluid flow, is responsible for the downstream particle capture