High gradient magnetic separation applied to environmental remediation
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Lockheed Environmental Systems and Technology Co., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is an application of superconducting magnet technology to the separation of magnetic solids from other solids, liquids, or gases. The production of both high magnetic fields (>4 T) and large field gradients using superconducting magnet technology has made it possible to separate a previously unreachable but large family of paramagnetic materials. This powerful technique can be used to separate widely dispersed contaminants from a host material, and it may be the only technique available for separating material in the colloidal state. Because it is a physical separation process, no additional waste is generated. The authors are applying this technology to the treatment of radioactive wastes for environmental remediation. They have conducted tests examining slurries containing nonradioactive, magnetic surrogates. Results from these studies were used to verify their analytical model of the separation process. The model describes the rate process for magnetic separation and is based on a force balance on the paramagnetic species. This model was used to support bench scale experiments and prototype separator designs.
- OSTI ID:
- 45439
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930703-; TRN: 94:007382-0031
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International cryogenic materials conference (ICMC), Albuquerque, NM (United States), 12-16 Jul 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Advances in cryogenic engineering, Volume 39, Part A; Kittel, P. [ed.]; PB: 1038 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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