Open AccessThe magnetization intensity of some artificial suspensions while flocculating in a magnetic field
Author(s) -
Vreumingen M. J.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1993.tb06990.x
Subject(s) - magnetization , flocculation , maghemite , intensity (physics) , suspension (topology) , magnetite , sedimentation , salinity , earth's magnetic field , magnetic field , kaolinite , materials science , geology , mineralogy , chemistry , sediment , physics , optics , metallurgy , geomorphology , oceanography , homotopy , mathematics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics
SUMMARY The magnetization intensity of suspensions containing kaolinite or quartz as a non‐magnetic fraction and maghemite or magnetite as a magnetic fraction, while flocculating in the geomagnetic field, was measured as a function of time. The measurements were repeated for a range of different salinities. For all compositions studied, it is found that the initial intensity of suspension magnetization rises with rising low salinity and then at some higher salinity falls to a very low value. For all compositions the intensity of suspension magnetization decays in time at a salinity‐dependent rate. The magnetization (DRM) of the completely settled sediment is always much weaker than the magnetization of the initial suspension, to an extent which again depends on salinity. The results indicate that the characteristics of the ultimate DRM originate from (flocculation) processes which occurred already at an early instance in the suspensions, and consequently do not have much relationship with the sedimentation process itself. Different from our experiments, floe‐formation in nature usually involves organic compounds which act as a glue. It is suggested that this natural flocculation is a major cause for the undersaturation of the intensity of natural DRM.