On the possibility of structural and magnetic ordering in magnetic colloids

The aggregation stability of a magnetic colloid at an excess content of a surfactant is studied. The presence of aggregates with a nonzero magnetic moments is revealed; on this basis, magnetic ordering of magnetic particles in them is regarded as possible. The possible mechanisms of the formation of periodic structural lattices appearing under the action of a direct electric field on the magnetic colloid are studied. A fundamental difference between the structurization processes induced by a surfactant and by an electric field is noted: structurization processes occurring at the excess of surfactant may be associated with the flocculation, whereas such processes proceeding under the effect of an electric field may be due to phase separation of the colloid.__________Translated from Kolloidnyi Zhurnal, Vol. 67, No. 2, 2005, pp. 161–166.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Dikanskii, Vegera, Zakinyan, Nechaeva, Gladkikh.