From Basic Research to Industrial Application of Superconducting Magnets in Magnetic Separation

Synopsis: Recent progress in magnet technology has enabled the realization of economically and operationally favorable superconducting magnets. Consequently, this has made it possible to utilize high-intensity magnetic fields occupying a large volume with very small electric power consumption in much broader areas of science and technology than in the past. Magnetic separa tion is a promising application because it can separate (or purify) a large quantity of dilute sus pension at high speed; it is repeatedly usable, and is recognized as a secondary-waste-free tech nology that will contribute significantly to the preservation of global environment. This intro ductory article discusses some of the fundamental characteristics of magnetic separation and the recent R & D activities from the viewpoint of an industrial application of superconducting magnets.