Flexible Fluid Pump Using Magnetic Composite Gels

AbstractA flexible fluid pump made of magnetic composite gels has been developed. The magnetic composite gel was sodium alginate or poly(vinyl alcohol) gel in which barium ferrite particles were dispersed. The pump consisted of a magnetic gel-rotor and a driving magnet. The rotor demonstrated the rotational motion in response to a rotational magnetic field generated by the driving magnet. The gel-rotor had the shape of a screw so as to deliver water efficiently. The diameter of the rotor was varied from 3.8 to 5.5 mm and the diameter of the tube for delivering water was kept as 6 mm. Flow rates pumped by the rotor increased with increasing the diameter, length, and rotation speeds of the rotor. The maximum flow rate of 34 ml/min was achieved when the rotation speeds was 5000 rpm. The rotor with a diameter of 300 μm was also successfully synthesized, however the rotor did not deliver water in a microtube with a diameter of 500 μm. Processing of the gel-rotor, and the efficiency of the water delivery are presented.