Study of the calorimetric effect in ferrogels subjected to the high-frequency rotating magnetic field

Abstract

This study investigates the calorimetric effect in iron oxide-containing ferrogels when exposed to a high-frequency rotating magnetic field. The primary heat generation mechanisms were magnetic relaxation (Néel and Brownian) and magnetic hysteresis. Temperature was monitored over time for various magnetic field amplitudes, enabling the determination of the contributions of both heat release mechanisms as a function of particle concentration and field strength. Experiments were performed using agar-based tissue mimicking phantoms with magnetic nanoparticle weight concentrations ranging from 5 % to 20 %. The magnetic fields applied varied from 1 kA/m to 5 kA/m, with the equipment having a capability of up to 7.5 kA/m at a frequency of 200 kHz. The experimental setup employed a two-phase magnetic system enclosed in an external core where magnetizing coils and parallel connected inductors and capacitors generated spatially and phase shifted fluxes by 90 degrees, resulting in a constant amplitude of rotating magnetic field.The heating efficiency of the rotating magnetic field was found to be approximately twice as effective as an equivalent alternating field in the experiments. The specific loss power exhibited a decreasing trend with the increase in magnetic nanoparticle concentration and the decrease in magnetic field strength. Specifically, as the magnetic nanoparticle concentration increased from 5 % to 20 %, the SLP diminished from 457.3 mW/g (at 5 % concentration and 5 kA/m) to 1.24 mW/g (at 20 % concentration and 1 kA/m). This decrease in SLP can be attributed to enhanced dipole–dipole interactions between particles at smaller interparticle distances as concentration increases, as well as reduced magnetic responsiveness to weaker magnetic fields. Even though Brownian relaxation was likely hindered in the gel structure due to the immobilization of magnetic nanoparticles, the observed magnetic heating effect remains significant. Given the limited existing data on rotating magnetic field effects on tissue mimicking ferrogels, this study offers novel insights, potentially aiding in the optimization of magnetic hyperthermia treatments while highlighting the benefits of rotating over alternating magnetic fields.