Finite-Element Computation of Magnetic Force Densities on Permeable Particles in Magnetic Separators

Magnetic force densities are computed by differentiation of the magnetic energy density distribution obtained by finite-element analysis. The computed forces on small permeable particles are shown to agree reasonably well with a classical formula by Oberteuffer. The method is applied to both planar separators and axisymmetric magnetic separators, including those used for biomolecular screening.