Magnetic field effects on water and aqueous solutions

Abstract

Claims of magnetic field effects on water and their potential use in a microfluidic channel are explored. The pendant drop method is used to measure the surface tension, which is calculated from the shape of the drop. The apparent increase or decrease in the surface tension value of diamagnetic water or paramagnetic solutions of magnetic ions is the sum of a small real effect and apparent change due to the magnetic field gradient body force produced by the compact arrays of permanent magnets used to create the field. A zero-susceptibility method has been developed which can distinguish the intrinsic magnetic field effect in water and paramagnetic solutions. Water showed a surface tension change of 0.19 ± 0.21 mNm-1 in a uniform field. A real surface tension change of paramagnetic DyCl3, MnSO4, CuSO4 solutions are -0.30 mNm1, -0.48 mNm-1 ,-0.50 mNm-1 in a non-uniform vertical field and -0.50 mNm-1, -0.51 mNm-1, - 0.11 mNm-1 in the uniform horizontal field. Systematic and controlled evaporation-rate experiments showed an increase of 12 ± 7 % for water, and a decrease of 23 ± 0.2 % for NaCl and 21 ± 6 % for 6 M urea in a 500 mT uniform field. No significant magnetic memory effect was observed. A new model explains the enhanced evaporation rate of water based on the modification of the ortho: para isomeric ratio when a magnetic field is present. The evaporation of water in a microfluidic channel yielded an evaporation rate three times higher than in the beakers in a similar magnetic field. The magnetic field enhancement is also bigger, up to a 100%. The magnetic water treatment of hard and soft water resulted in the precipitation of crystalline polymorphs of CaCO3 by heating and evaporation. Circulation of water through a magnetic treatment device modifies nanobubble generation characterized by zeta-potential measurement. Sonication of soft water produced nanobubbles and hard water precipitated as Calcite or Aragonite, depending on temperature. Magnetic water treatment and ultrasound- induced precipitation showed evidence for the existence of colloidal nanoscale pre-nucleation clusters (DOLLOPS). Finally, some initial set experiments were performed to fabricate magneto responsive cilia loaded with magnetite particles. A method of curing the polymer has to be optimized in future experiments.