Hydrodynamic characteristics of magnetically stabilized fluidized admixture beds of iron and copper particles

Hydrodynamic characteristics of fluidized beds of pure iron (1416 mu m), copper (934 mu m) and their admixture (25, 50 and 75 mass %) particles when exposed to a uniform magnetic field collinear with the gas flow are investigated. Bed pressure-drop data taken as a function of increasing and decreasing gas velocities (up to about 8 m/s) for different values of magnetic-field intensity over a wide range (0 to 17 272 A/m) are employed to determine the superficial minimum bubbling and fluidization gas velocities at ambient temperature and pressure. The minimum bubbling velocity is found to increase with an increase in the value of the magnetic-field intensity, as well as with the mass fraction of magnetizable particles in the bed. These data are correlated with an empirical relation, as well as with a semi-theoretical expression. The bed voidage data are also generated and analyzed, as also the bed quality fluidization in terms of interparticle magnetic forces. These hydrodynamic properties of magnetically stabilized fluidized-bed reactors are useful in their design and operation for a variety of chemical and biochemical applications.