Applications of Fe3O4

Given the magnetic properties, there are potential opportunities for the incorporation of Fe3O4 in applications, namely cell separation, environmental contaminant removal, sealing agents as liquid o-rings, magneto cytolysis, cooling mechanisms in loudspeakers and dumping, contrasting agents, high gradient magnetic separation, ferrofluids, magnetic resonance tomography magnetically guided drug delivery and mechano-electrical application. Fe3O4 used in high gradient magnetic separation involves the magnetic separation of suspended particles. An example of using magnetite in this technology is implementing fine powder of Fe3O4 in traditional water treatment plant coagulation. In this application, fine magnetite powders serve as seeding agents with magnetic properties to eventually form active magnetic flocs with other suspended particles. Fine magnetite powders have an interesting application, and colloidal suspensions contain fine magnetic particles called ferrofluids where strong magnetic fields are present. Ferrofluids could grow spikes along the applied magnetic field lines with some particular applications in technology. The magnetic properties are particularly dependent on the Fe3O4’s Curie temperature, which was discussed already. At thermal conditions lower than the Curie temperature, the magnetic moments of tetrahedral sites occupied by ferric irons get aligned ferromagnetically. In contrast, the magnetic moments on octahedral sites get occupied by both ferric and ferrous species, which cancel each other, leading to an antiferromagnetic nature. This means Fe3O4 is ferrimagnetic at room temperature. However, as the temperature rises to Curie temperature, the ferromagnetic alignment of magnetic moments is destroyed by thermal fluctuations on tetrahedral sites where ferrimagnetic strength is diminished. Therefore, when the Curie temperature is achieved, magnetization falls to zero, leading to a rise in super magnetic behavior 2. If you are looking for high quality, high purity and cost-effective Fe3O4, or if you require the latest price of Fe3O4, please feel free to email contact mis-asia.