Anisotropic ferromagnetic polymer: A first step for their implementation in microfluidic systems

Here we report on the influence of anisotropic microstructure on the performances of magnetically soft micro-patterns intended to integrate microfluidic systems. These micro-patterns are made of a composite obtained by mixing carbonyl iron particles with polydimethylsiloxane, which offers practical integration advantages. We investigated a wide range of magnetic particle loadings, from 10wt% to 83wt%, reaching magnetization as high as 630 kA/m. A homogeneous field was applied during the polymer’s cross-linking phase so that to obtain a 1D arrangement of the particles in the solidified polymer, along the field direction. Here we present the results obtained for square-based micro-pillars prepared under a magnetic field applied along one of its diagonal. We assessed the magnetic anisotropy owing to the particles’ spatial arrangement by comparing the magnetization processes along the two diagonals of the micro-pillar’s base. The magnetic susceptibilities along the two directions differ from a factor greater than three. The results can be described in terms of high aspect ratio and porous magnetic agglomerates.