Magnetic composites exhibiting distinct flux properties due to gradient interfaces
First Claim
1. A separator for separating a first type of particle having a first magnetic susceptibility from a second type of particle having a second magnetic susceptibility, comprising:
- a first material having a first magnetism, said first material comprising magnetic microbeads;
a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer, said second material forming a microstructured composite with said first material; and
a plurality of boundaries between said first material and said second material, said plurality of boundaries providing a plurality of paths between a first region and a second region, each of said plurality of boundaries having a magnetic gradient within said plurality of paths;
said magnetic gradient causing said first type of particle to pass through said second material at a greater rate than said second type of particle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Magnetic composites exhibit distinct flux properties due to gradient interfaces. The composites can be used to improve fuel cells and effect transport and separation of different species of materials. A variety of devices can be made utilizing the composites including a separator, a cell, an electrode for channeling flux of magnetic species, an electrode for effecting electrolysis of magnetic species, a system for channeling electrolyte species, a system for separating particles with different magnetic susceptibilities. Some composites can be used to make a dual sensor for distinguishing between two species of materials and a flux switch to regulate the flow of a redox species and a flux switch to regulate the flow of a chemical species. Some composites can control chemical species transport and distribution.
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Citations
89 Claims
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1. A separator for separating a first type of particle having a first magnetic susceptibility from a second type of particle having a second magnetic susceptibility, comprising:
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a first material having a first magnetism, said first material comprising magnetic microbeads;
a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer, said second material forming a microstructured composite with said first material; and
a plurality of boundaries between said first material and said second material, said plurality of boundaries providing a plurality of paths between a first region and a second region, each of said plurality of boundaries having a magnetic gradient within said plurality of paths;
said magnetic gradient causing said first type of particle to pass through said second material at a greater rate than said second type of particle.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A cell, comprising:
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an electrolyte including a first type of particles;
said first type of particles having a first magnetic susceptibility;
a first electrode arranged in said electrolyte; and
a second electrode arranged in said electrolyte, wherein said first type of particles transform into a second type of particles once said first type of particles reach said second electrode, said second type of particles having a second magnetic susceptibility, wherein said first and said second magnetic susceptibilities are different, said second electrode having a surface with a coating which includes;
a first material having a first magnetism, said first material comprising magnetic microbeads;
a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising magnetic an ion exchange polymer; and
a plurality of boundaries providing a plurality of paths between said electrolyte and said surface of said second electrode, each of said plurality of boundaries providing a magnetic gradient within each of said plurality of paths. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An electrode for channeling flux of magnetic species, comprising:
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a conductor; and
a composite in surface contact with said conductor, said composite including a first material having a first magnetism and a second material having a second magnetism, wherein said first material comprises magnetic microbeads and said second material comprises an ion exchange polymer, said composite having a plurality of boundaries providing pathways between said first material and said second material, wherein said pathways channel the flux of said magnetic species through said pathways to said conductor. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. An electrode for effecting electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:
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a conductor; and
magnetic means in surface contact with said conductor for enhancing the flux of said magnetic species in an electrolyte solution to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species, wherein said magnetic means comprises a magnetic composite, said magnetic composite comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer.
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45. An electrode for effecting electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:
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a conductor; and
means in surface contact with said conductor for enhancing the flux of said magnetic species to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species, wherein said means in surface contact with said conductor is a composite material, said composite material comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer.
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46. An electrode for electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:
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a conductor; and
a composite magnetic material in surface contact with said conductor, said composite magnetic material comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer, said composite having a plurality of transport pathways through said composite magnetic material, said plurality of transport pathways enhancing the passage of said magnetic species to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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49. A system, comprising:
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a first electrolyte species having a first magnetic susceptibility;
a second electrolyte species having a second magnetic susceptibility; and
means for preferentially channeling, from a first region to a second region, said first electrolyte species having a first magnetic susceptibility, as compared with said second electrolyte species having a second magnetic susceptibility, wherein said means for preferentially channeling comprises a first material having a first magnetism forming a microstructured composite with a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer;
wherein said microstructured composite contains magnetic gradients that cause said first electrolyte species to pass through said second material at a greater rate than said second electrolyte species. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A system for separating first particles and second particles having respective different first and second magnetic susceptibilities, comprising:
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a first material having a first magnetism; and
a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer and forming a microstructured composite with said first material, said second material working in conjunction with said first material to produce magnetic gradients, said magnetic gradients causing said first particles to pass through said second material at a greater rate than said second particles.
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55. A composite material for controlling chemical species transport, comprising:
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an ion exchanger; and
a graded density layer, wherein said ion exchanger is sorbed into said graded density layer. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. A magnetic composite material for controlling transport of magnetic chemical species according to their magnetic susceptibility, comprising:
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an ion exchanger;
a polymer coated magnetic microbead material; and
a graded density layer, wherein said ion exchanger and said polymer coated magnetic microbead material are sorbed into said graded density layer.
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59. A composite material for controlling chemical species viscous transport, comprising:
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an ion exchanger; and
a graded viscosity layer, wherein said ion exchanger is sorbed into said graded viscosity layer.
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60. A magnetic composite material for controlling magnetic chemical species transport and distribution, comprising:
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an ion exchanger;
a polymer coated magnetic microbead material; and
a graded density layer, wherein said ion exchanger and said polymer coated magnetic microbead material are sorbed into said graded density layer forming a gradient in the density of said polymer coated magnetic microbead material substantially perpendicular to a density gradient in said graded density layer.
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61. A magnetic composite material for controlling magnetic chemical species transport and distribution, comprising:
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an ion exchanger;
a polymer coated magnetic microbead material; and
a graded density layer, wherein said ion exchanger and said polymer coated magnetic microbead material are sorbed into said graded density layer forming a gradient in the density of said polymer coated magnetic microbead material substantially parallel to a density gradient in said graded density layer.
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62. An ion exchange composite for controlling chemical species transport from a source of the chemical species, comprising:
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an ion exchanger; and
a laminate graded density layer having a first side and a second side, wherein said ion exchanger is one of sorbed into said graded density layer and cocast on said graded density layer, and said graded density layer and said ion exchanger are contained within said first side and said second side, wherein said first side is in closer proximity to said source of said chemical species and said second side is more distal to said source of said chemical species, and wherein said laminate graded density layer has lower density toward said first side and higher density toward said second side, substantially increasing in density in a direction from said first side toward said second side. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. An ion exchange composite for controlling chemical species transport from a source of the chemical species, comprising:
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an ion exchanger; and
a laminate graded density layer having a first side and a second side, wherein said ion exchanger is one of sorbed into said graded density layer and cocast on said graded density layer, and said ion exchanger and said laminate graded density layer are contained within said first side and said second side, wherein said first side is in closer proximity to said source of said chemical species and said second side is more distal to said source of said chemical species, and wherein said laminate graded density layer has higher density toward said first side and lower density toward said second side, substantially decreasing in density in a direction from said first side toward said second side. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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70. A flux switch to regulate the flow of a redox species, comprising:
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an electrode;
a coating on said electrode, wherein said coating is formed from a composite comprising;
a magnetic microbead material having an aligned surface magnetic field;
an ion exchange polymer; and
an electro-active polymer in which a first redox form is paramagnetic and a second redox form is diamagnetic, wherein said flux switch is actuated by electrolyzing said electro-active polymer from said first redox form ordered in said magnetic field to said second redox form disordered in said magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A flux switch to regulate the flow of a chemical species, comprising:
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an electrode; and
a coating on said electrode, wherein said coating is formed from a composite comprising;
a non-permanent magnetic microbead material;
an ion exchange polymer; and
a polymer with magnetic material that is convertible between a paramagnetic form and a diamagnetic form, and wherein said flux switch is actuated by reversibly converting said magnetic material from said paramagnetic form to said diamagnetic form by turning an externally applied magnetic field on or off. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A device comprising two electrodes, at least one of said two electrodes having a composite coating thereon, said composite coating comprising:
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a first material having a first magnetism; and
a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer and working in conjunction with said first material to produce magnetic gradients within said composite coating. - View Dependent Claims (89)
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Specification