Magnetic composites exhibiting distinct flux properties due to gradient interfaces

A method of making an electrode with a surface coated with a composite with a plurality of boundary regions with magnetic gradients having paths to the surface of said electrode when an external magnetic field is turned on, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a first solution which includes a suspension of at least 5 percent by weight of inert polymer coated microbeads containing between 10 percent and 90 percent magnetizable non-permanent magnet material having diameters at least 0.5 micrometers in a first solvent with a second solution of at least 5 percent of ion exchange polymers in a second solvent to yield a mixed suspension;
• applying said mixed suspension to the surface of the electrode;
• evaporating said first solvent and said second solvent to yield the electrode with a surface coated with the composite having a plurality of boundary regions with magnetic gradients having paths to the surface of the electrode when the external magnet is turned on.

An electrode for channeling flux of magnetic species, comprising:

• a conductor;
• and
• a composite in surface contact with said conductor, said composite including a first material having a first magnetism and a second material having a second magnetism, wherein said first material comprises magnetic microbeads and said second material comprises an ion exchange polymer, said composite having a plurality of boundaries providing pathways between said first material and said second material, wherein said pathways channel the flux of said magnetic species through said pathways to said conductor.

An electrode for effecting electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:

• a conductor;
• and
• magnetic means in surface contact with said conductor for enhancing the flux of said magnetic species in an electrolyte solution to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species, wherein said magnetic means comprises a magnetic composite, said magnetic composite comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer.

An electrode for effecting electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:

• a conductor;
• and
• means in surface contact with said conductor for enhancing the flux of said magnetic species to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species, wherein said means in surface contact with said conductor is a composite material, said composite material comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer.

An electrode for electrolysis of magnetic species, comprising:

• a conductor;
• and
• a composite magnetic material in surface contact with said conductor, said composite magnetic material comprising magnetic microbeads and an ion exchange polymer, said composite having a plurality of transport pathways through said composite magnetic material, said plurality of transport pathways enhancing the passage of said magnetic species to said conductor and effecting electrolysis of said magnetic species.

An improved fuel cell having two electrodes and a flux of O2 between said two electrodes, wherein one of said two electrodes is the electrode claimed in claim 57, said composite magnetic material thereby enhancing flux of O2 to said one electrode.

A system for separating first particles and second particles having respective different first and second magnetic susceptibilities, comprising:

• a first material having a first magnetism;
• and
• a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer and working in conjunction with said first material to produce magnetic gradients, said magnetic gradients causing said first particles to pass through said second material at a greater rate than said second particles.

A composite material for controlling chemical species transport, comprising:

• an ion exchanger;
• and
• a graded density layer, wherein said ion exchanger is sorbed into said graded density layer.

A composite material for controlling chemical species viscous transport, comprising:

• an ion exchanger;
• and
• a graded viscosity layer, wherein said ion exchanger is sorbed into said graded viscosity layer.

An ion exchange composite for controlling chemical species transport from a source of the chemical species, comprising:

• an ion exchanger;
• and
• a laminate graded density layer having a first side and a second side, wherein said ion exchanger is one of sorbed into said graded density layer and cocast on said graded density layer, and said graded density layer and said ion exchanger are contained within said first side and said second side, wherein said first side is in closer proximity to said source of said chemical species and said second side is more distal to said source of said chemical species, and wherein said laminate graded density layer has lower density toward said first side and higher density toward said second side, substantially increasing in density in a direction from said first side toward said second side.

An ion exchange composite for controlling chemical species transport from a source of the chemical species, comprising:

• an ion exchanger;
• and
• a laminate graded density layer having a first side and a second side, wherein said ion exchanger is one of sorbed into said graded density layer and cocast on said graded density layer, and said ion exchanger and said laminate graded density layer are contained within said first side and said second side, wherein said first side is in closer proximity to said source of said chemical species and said second side is more distal to said source of said chemical species, and wherein said laminate graded density layer has higher density toward said first side and lower density toward said second side, substantially decreasing in density in a direction from said first side toward said second side.

An apparatus for distinguishing between a first species and a second species having different magnetisms comprising:

• a first membrane sensor which preferentially passes said first species over said second species due to said different magnetisms;
• and
• a second membrane sensor, which preferentially passes the concentration of said second species over said first species due to said different magnetisms, thereby enabling the measurement of at least said first species.

A device comprising two electrodes, at least one of said two electrodes having a composite coating thereon, said composite coating comprising:

• a first material having a first magnetism;
• and
• a second material having a second magnetism, said second material comprising an ion exchange polymer and working in conjunction with said first material to produce magnetic gradients within said composite coating.