STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF A LIQUID-FLUIDIZED MAGNETICALLY STABILIZED BED

Abstract

As part of an effort to apply the magnetically stabilized fluidized bed (MSFB) to bioseparations, we have carried out a number of studies aimed at understanding its structure and properties. These included liquid-phase dispersion, conductivity (a measure of particle-particle contact), and studies with two different orientations of the applied magnetic field (parallel and transverse to the direction of liquid flow). The dispersion studies showed that the MSFB behaves much like a packed bed and is very different from an ordinary fluidized bed. The direction in which the magnetic field is applied is quite important, in one case causing a contraction and in the other an expansion of the bed compared to the height of a bed which is fluidized under identical conditions without a field.