Flocculation of diamagnetic particles in high magnetic fields

The combined influence of high magnetic fields and concentration of a paramagnetic electrolyte on the stability of a suspension of diamagnetic quartz particles has been investigated. For the first time, formation of magnetically induced binary pairs of particles has been observed over a broad range of electrolyte concentration and is explained in terms of an extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO)‐theory. Anomalous effects at low fields are shown to be caused by particle rotation due to an anisotropic magnetic susceptibility.