Contactless processing of materials combining continuous and alternating magnetic fields

EPM-MADYLAM, CNRS, BP 95, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères Cedex, France

Corresponding author: gillon@polycnrs-gre.fr

Received: 29 March 2002
Revised: 7 June 2002
Accepted: 20 June 2002
Published online: 19 November 2002

Abstract

Contactless processing of metallic materials is of great interest and has been used for the fundamental study of melts such as their thermo-physical properties and their solidification behavior. Among the different ways to produce the free suspension of the material, magnetic fields offer a well-adapted mean for metals and alloys. However, due to stability considerations, development of applications has been seriously limited in the past. We present here a new containerless technique combining magnetic suspension with an electromagnetic induction furnace able to produce stable conditions of sustentation even for paramagnetic substances. Suspension experiments on massive metallic samples involving the superimposition of magnetic and electromagnetic forces will be described and analyzed. Conditions to solidify pure Ti and TiAl alloy samples of 45 g without any contact with a container wall are presented.