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Q: magnetic properties ( No Answer,   4 Comments )
Question  
Subject: magnetic properties
Category: Science > Technology
Asked by: houndogman-ga
List Price: $4.50
Posted: 23 Oct 2005 04:25 PDT
Expires: 22 Nov 2005 03:25 PST
Question ID: 583781
how can i make the semi-precious stone hemitite, magnetic, with a very
strong permanent effect at  honme?
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: magnetic properties
From: hfshaw-ga on 24 Oct 2005 11:35 PDT
 
You can't.  Pure hematite, which has the chemical formula Fe2O3, is
antiferromagnetic, meaning it's not magnetic or magnetizable.  Natural
hematite, however, often contains impurities, or has slightly fewer
oxygen atoms per iron atom than "ideal" hematite, so natural hematite
samples are often weakly ferromagnetic.  (A material that is
ferromagnetic can be magnetized to form a permanent magnet.)

The chemical compound Fe2O3 can also exist in crystal structure
different from true hematite -- it can form with the same structure as
the mineral magnetite (Fe3O4).  In this form, it is called
"maghemite", and this mineral is strongly ferromagnetic, but it is
very unlikely that you have a large, jewelery-quality sample of this
material.

You are probably thinking of the strongly magnetized materials being
sold commercially as "magnetic hematite" beads/buttons, etc., or as
"singing magnets".  This material is not hematite at all, but
synthetic barium or strontium ferrite (chemical formulas Ba Fe12 O19,
and Sr Fe12 O19, respectively).

To produce the strong permanent magnetism in these materials (or any
strongly ferromagnetic material), the usual procedure would be to heat
the material above its Curie temperature (the temperature above which
a ferromagnetic material loses its magnetism), then cool the material
in a strong external magnetic field produced by an external
electromagnetic or permanent magnet.
The Curie temperature of BaFe12O19 and SrFe12O19 is about 450
Centigrade or about 840 F (see http://ima.es/pdf/IMA_1_ENGLISH.pdf).
Subject: Re: magnetic properties
From: houndogman-ga on 25 Oct 2005 11:45 PDT
 
THANKS FH-ilearned a lot from that comment-can you tell me the method
i could use to produce the strong external magnetic field produced by
an external
electromagnetic or permanent magnet.?  sincere appreciation-houndogman
Subject: Re: magnetic properties
From: hfshaw-ga on 26 Oct 2005 15:33 PDT
 
The design of practical magnetizing equipment is well beyond my area
of expertise.  You might want to look at the document at
<http://www.duramag.com/Engineeringmachining/MMPA_PMG-88.pdf>,
particularly page 20 (the section on magnetizing equipment).  If this
doesn't make sense to you, then you need to read up on the basics of
electricity and magnetism.  There are numerous websites out there that
cover these topics at levels ranging from the extreme novice to the
graduate-student level.  Try doing a Google search on "how do
electromagnets work?"  Section 10 of the article at
<http://www.magnetsales.com/Design/DesignG_2.htm> might also be
helpful to you.

There are commercially available magnetizers that produce very high
magnetic fields (for short times) by discharging large capacitors
through the coils of an electromagnet.  By using large fields to
overcome, one avoids having to heat the material being magnetized
above its Curie temperature.  See, for instance,
<http://www.maginst.com/capacitive.html>.
Subject: Re: magnetic properties
From: houndogman-ga on 27 Oct 2005 15:00 PDT
 
thanks again FH-your knowldge in this is proving invaluable-i owe you one-mark

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