Magnetohydrodynamic electrochemistry in the field of Nd-Fe-B magnets. Theory, experiment, and application in self-powered flow delivery systems.

Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets are easily available, powerful, and inexpensive and generate strong quantifiable convective effects during electrolysis, similar to those obtained with rotating electrodes or large electromagnets. The magnetic field of Nd-Fe-B magnets has been simulated numerically and mapped. Its most characteristic difference from the field of most commercial electromagnets is the presence of magnetic field gradients, which introduce additional body forces in the electrolytic solution and create new modes of mass transfer due to the attraction of electrogenerated radicals into areas of stronger field. The effect of those new forces on the radial distribution of the flow profile in the vicinity of the electrode has been monitored with generation-collection experiments and optical photography. The emerging utility of Nd-Fe-B magnets in systems of chemical interest is demonstrated with flow control and delivery devices, based on galvanic cells configured as self-powered magnetohydrodynamic pumps.