Transport of nanoparticles through non-isothermal ferrofluid layer with permeable walls

The paper deals with nanoparticle transfer through a thin non-isothermal ferrofluid layer between two permeable nonmagnetic walls. The transient mass flux is determined from measurements of particle concentration changes in two fluid chambers of different temperatures attached to both sides of the layer. The magnetic field aligned along the temperature gradient causes an increase in mass diffusion coefficient and a decrease in particle thermo-diffusion mobility. In the presence of strong fields, even reversal of the mass flux direction is observed. It is assumed that the observed effects may be evoked by a specific micro-convective mass transfer induced by nonmagnetic grid elements of the walls.