Magnetic alignment of a biopolymer solution?

How about providing a molecular diagram of the biopolymer, identifying the magnetic elements and their position? Since I don't know about any biopolymer that can be magnetically aligned, I will just consider alignment generally.

It sounds as though you are filtering the monomers during this step of the polymerization process...? In this case, aligning the monomers might actually clog your filter, by encouraging polymers to form before they get through the filter. Randomness in solution may be desirable or necessary to maximize the escape of free monomers to the other side.

Magnets only work on magnetic material. If your polymer is not magnetic, it won't work.

The polymer is polyanionic in nature. My hope was that by introducing a magnetic field, the polymers in solution (it's actually more like a hydrated gel) would align themselves about the magnetic fields in a manner that would be favorable for filtration.

Have you actually checked to see if the polymer is magnetic ? If it is, passing it through a small diameter pipe surrounded by magnets may help to align it in the way you hope . If it isn't, then unfortunately it won't work .

Good luck on your experiment .

The mere consideration of magnetic alignment causes me to think that the biopolymer may be amphiphilic - or generally polar in some sense. In that case, the use of magnetic alignment is possible. However, you will have to use what used to be called "Ions Separation Membrane"(?).

Usually such membranes are a plastic film that has been perforated using an ions-beam gun of a pre-set ion size to get the size of perforations desired. These perforations are then affixed with either positive or native ions depending on the intended use: the filtration of negative ions requires the use of positive ions perforations and vice versa.

So purposes of implementation have a magnetic field impressed perpendicularly to the membrane and with the intended filtration occurring through the membrane: Effectively think of a conduit in which a membrane is affixed in transverse (90^o to the axially direction) and the biopolymer filtration occurring along the conduit-axis, or something to that effect.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

What you have described is identical to a sketch of the mechanism that I envisioned the process emulating (in fact, it's on a Post-It note in canary yellow).

We are talking about a hydrophilic biopolymer, whose polarity comes from being polyanionic in nature and readily forms hydrogen bonds with water.

The concentration of solution in must equal concentration out. Furthermore, the membrane would act as a sterile filter (i.e. max pore size 0.2μm). Are these considerations possible using the mechanism you've described?

The last time I thought about such system as yours, I was working on the machine for manufacturing the membrane. I am not sure which aspects is proprietary so I am going to be communicating with you in private. Expect an email from me.

Didn't realize, you are not registered. So you write to me at "editor@gbanalysts.com"