All Permanent-Magnet Complete Levitation

[Nink]

The Bismuth turned up.  100grams is not a lot. lucky I actually purchased 2 * 100 grams I wanted to make 2 levitating devices.  I melted it down and made 2 plates 100 grams each about 5 cm in diameter and 5mm thick for a single levitation device. (Recommend maybe 200 grams per slug, not sure I had enough).   I could only get a small magnet to levitate between the distance of 3 pennies but it works.   I tried other magnets with various results.  Neo Ring magnets seem to work best but can't confirm mine broke while testing. I melted down the bismuth a few times and tried different thickness, diameters but did not seem to make a lot of difference but not scientific although thinner 5mm less diamagnetic (magnet is attracted  more to pulling magnet) and thicker 1cm more diamagnetic (magnet moves away from pulling magnet) 

I am not sure of the variables that you can play with.

1) Distance between Bismuth slugs
2) Thickness of Bismuth slugs
3) Distance to edge slugs
4) Type / Shape of levitated magnet (ring square cube)
5) polarity of levitated magent (N or S up)
6) Type / Shape of pulling magnet
7) Polarity of pulling magnet (No or S)
If you add a pushing magnet underneath
..........

All of these need to be experimented.  The goal I guess would be to come up with a formula or a mathematical model, if it doesn't already exist, to predict what configuration you would need to scale the levitation.  I am most interested in single bottom plate levitation pushing the magnet on top. 

Also although it spins quite freely when you blow on it with a straw it slows down fairly quickly.  A lot of my failed OU projects spin for longer without power so I think maybe there are eddy currents slowing it down even though we are counteracting gravitational force.  Maybe different shape magnets may help and could be my copper pennies :-). 

[sm0ky2]

When bismuth is melted, then allowed to cool, it forms into its' natural crystalline alignment.
Meaning, the magnetic domains within the crystal structure (which are only diamagnetic on one vector!!) are scattered. they face in all directions.

the diamagnetism, then presents itself (slightly) in all vectors. Along with ferromagnetic and non magnetic domains.

In order to align these diamagnetic domains, the bismuth must be cooled in the presence of a magnetic field. Only then can the full diamagnetic effects of Bismuth be demonstrated.

[Nink]

When bismuth is melted, then allowed to cool, it forms into its' natural crystalline alignment.
Meaning, the magnetic domains within the crystal structure (which are only diamagnetic on one vector!!) are scattered. they face in all directions.

the diamagnetism, then presents itself (slightly) in all vectors. Along with ferromagnetic and non magnetic domains.

In order to align these diamagnetic domains, the bismuth must be cooled in the presence of a magnetic field. Only then can the full diamagnetic effects of Bismuth be demonstrated.

Good to know I will melt and try again with Magnets during cooling, Originally I had 2 nice flat round disks and yeah it worked then I made 1 crystalized disk for fun and it still worked. 

Interesting enough I was trying to spin the magnet with a high powered Laser and it did start to rotate but quickly heated up then rose to the top and hit the bismuth, so temperature is another factor that needs to be taken into account.  I will check out the journals at work tomorrow and see if someone has written any decent papers on this. I am sure some university student must have explored this effect, sounds like a great subject for a doctoral  thesis to me.

[SoManyWires]

Good to know I will melt and try again with Magnets during cooling, Originally I had 2 nice flat round disks and yeah it worked then I made 1 crystalized disk for fun and it still worked. 

Interesting enough I was trying to spin the magnet with a high powered Laser and it did start to rotate but quickly heated up then rose to the top and hit the bismuth, so temperature is another factor that needs to be taken into account.  I will check out the journals at work tomorrow and see if someone has written any decent papers on this. I am sure some university student must have explored this effect, sounds like a great subject for a doctoral  thesis to me.

nice work! a levitation of magic carpet.
wonder if magnets could encourage the bismuth crystal formation so that would direct itself towards the magnet or magnets to somehow control the resulting shapes as well.

guess you already checked to know about the temperature used to do this reshaping of the materials at this point.
remember reading that some people had the stuff explode and that could ruin someones day without goggles on or some sort of shield.
what was the wattage of the laser you are working with? not sounding like a laser pointer. industrial grade cutter?

or if it can be shaped using pressure while its heated, the bismuth itself rather than any crystal formations.
to control heat of the sort of press being used for this, a hammer or other useful metal allowed to heat up to the same temperature as the bismuth does in the pot of water.
not saying strike the material, rather use slow pressure applied to reshape the bismuth with the hammer or something while its in the water carefully.

[Nink]

what was the wattage of the laser you are working with? not sounding like a laser pointer. industrial grade cutter?

It was just a 5W 445nm solid state laser. You can pick them up on ebay for $50 to $60.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5W-445nm-Blue-light-Laser-Pointer-Beam-Cigarette-with-Burn-Match-GSE-/252229643652?hash=item3aba0eed84:g:BkoAAOSwHPlWgblI
Still fairly dangerous firing at a spinning shiny surface. need appropriate wavelength goggles.