Ferrohydrodynamic Capillary Convection

Abstract

In this work, consideration is given to capillary convection on ferrofluids from the concentration gradient induced when a nonhomogeneous magnetic field is applied. It is known that mass transfer along an interface between two fluids can appear due to a gradient of the surface tension in the so-called Marangoni effect (or Gibbs–Marangoni effect). Because the surface tension is both thermal and concentration dependent, Marangoni convection can be induced by either a thermal or a concentration gradient, where in the former case, it is generally referred as thermocapillary convection. Now, it has been theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that a ferrofluid under the action of a non-homogeneous magnetic field can induce a concentration gradient of suspended magnetic nanoparticles, and also the effect of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface tension has been measured. Therefore, by deductive reasoning and taking into account the above mentioned facts, it is permissible to infer ferrohydrodynamic capillary convection on magnetic fluids under the presence of a magnetic gradient field. Utilizing a simplified physical model, the phenomenon was investigated and it was found that ferrohydrodynamic-Marangoni convection could be induced with particle size in the range up to 10 nm, which is the range of magnetic fluids to escape magnetic agglomeration.