Metallic contaminant detection by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction using high-Tc SQUIDs

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a high-Tc SQUID(Superconducting Quantum Interference Devises) magnetic metallic contaminant detector using Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction for food and industrial products. For manufacturers producing items such as processed food and industrial products, problems with metallic contaminants are critical issues. The lower detection limit for practical X-ray usage is on the order of 1 mm. A detection system using a SQUID is a powerful tool for sensitive inspections. An iron pellet with a size of 40 μm is successfully detected by the proposed system.