Magnetic separation of iron and heavy metals from water

A magnetic separation device is being developed for removal of iron and heavy metals from water. The device consists of a column of supported magnetite surrounded by a movable permanent magnet. The mineral magnetite, or synthetically prepared iron ferrite (FeO x Fe2O3), is typically supported on various materials to permit adequate water passage through the column. In the presence of an external magnetic field, enhanced capacity was observed in using supported magnetite for removal of actinides and heavy metals from wastewater. The enhanced capacity is primarily due to magnetic filtration of colloidal and nanoscale particles along with some complex and ion exchange sorption mechanisms. This paper will review some previous work on the use of magnetite for wastewater treatment and discuss the development and potential of the magnetic nanoscale filtration/sorption process for water treatment. Recent research results are also presented on preliminary experimental studies using the process with water samples containing iron.