Eddy current separator: The essential technology for recycling

The eddy current separator, used in the recycling industry, enables efficient sorting of non-ferrous metals.

A tribute to Jean Bernard Leon Foucault

It is important to pay tribute to Jean Bernard Léon Foucault mentioned in this article, the currents to which he bequeathed his name. Born in 1819 and died in 1868, this French physicist and astronomer was extremely prolific during his short life.

He left a legacy of discoveries that had an impact on the whole world. In addition to currents, he also gave his name to the Foucault pendulum, which demonstrates the rotation of the earth around its axis; he was the first to determine the speed of light and invented the gyroscope.

What are eddy currents?

The eddy currents– eddy currents are currents created by an alternating magnetic field on a current-carrying material. Any variation in magnetic flux passing through a metal mass produces eddy currents. These electrical currents can be induced voluntarily or involuntarily.

In the case of a variable magnetic field in a metal plate – ferrous or non-ferrous – the phenomenon is natural. On the other hand, the magnetic field is artificially induced in the presence of the variable field of an electric coil.

These currents create a Joule effect, heating up the mass carrying the current. They can also be used as a braking force when they cause Laplace forces to appear, if the flux variation results from a displacement of the medium in front of a constant magnetic field.