Fluidization in combined acoustic-magnetic field for mixtures of ultrafine particles

Four kinds of SiO2 (5–10 nm) + Fe3O4 (44.8 μm) particle were fluidized in a sole acoustic field, a sole magnetic field and a combined acoustic-magnetic field. Introduction of a single field, 100 dB/40–60 Hz acoustic or 10 mT magnetic, could suppress plugging and channeling and reduce the superficial minimum fluidization gas velocities, Umf. Combination of both acoustic and magnetic fields demonstrated even more promising results, especially more significant reduction of Umf.