Effect of wide-spectrum pulsed magnetic field on grain refinement of pure aluminium

A wide-spectrum pulsed magnetic field(WSPMF)was obtained by adjusting the number of current pulses and the pulse interval between adjacent pulses.The effect of WSPMF on the grain refinement of pure aluminium was studied.The distribution of electromagnetic force and flow field in the melt under the WSPMF was simulated to reveal the grain refining mechanism.Results show that the grain refinement is attributed to the combined effect of the melt flow and oscillation under a WSPMF.When the pulse interval is 5 ms,the extreme value of electromagnetic force is the highest,and the size of the crystal nucleus is 0.35 mm.In the case of similar flow rates,the grain size gradually decreases as the pulse interval increases.The range of the harmonic frequency of the magnetic field gradually expands with the increase of the pulse interval,which can provide more energy for nucleation at the solid-liquid interface and promote nucleation.

As-cast structure and tensile properties of AZ80 magnesium alloy DC cast with low-voltage pulsed magnetic field

The effects of a low-voltage pulsed magnetic field on the solidified structure and mechanical properties of DC casting AZ80 magnesium alloy were investigated.The results showed that the solidified structure of the DC casting AZ80 magnesium alloy was refined obviously by the low-voltage pulsed magnetic field and significant grain refinement in the DC casting ingot of AZ80 magnesium alloy was achieved.Meanwhile,the morphology of the dentritic in the DC casting ingot was transformed from coarse dentritic to fine rosette with the application of low-voltage pulsed magnetic field.The ability of deformation of the ingot was enhanced and especially the plasticity of the ingot center after upsetting was improved greatly by more than 80%after deformation.

Grain refinement of as-cast superalloy IN718 under action of low voltage pulsed magnetic field

The grain refinement of superalloy IN718 under the action of low voltage pulsed magnetic field was investigated. The experimental results show that fine equiaxed grains are acquired under the action of low voltage pulsed magnetic field. The refinement effect of the pulsed magnetic field is affected by the melt cooling rate and superheating. The decrease of cooling rate and superheating enhance the refinement effect of the low voltage pulsed magnetic field. The magnetic force and the melt flow during solidification are modeled and simulated to reveal the grain refinement mechanism. It is considered that the melt convection caused by the pulsed magnetic field, as well as cooling rate and superheating contributes to the refinement of solidified grains.

Grain refinement of pure aluminum by direct current pulsed magnetic field and inoculation

The combined effects of direct current pulsed magnetic field （DC-PMF） and inoculation on pure aluminum were investigated, the grain refinement behavior of DC-PMF and inoculation was discussed. The experimental results indicate that the solidification micro structure of pure aluminum can be greatly refined under DC-PMF. Refinement of pure aluminum is attributed to electromagnetic undercooling and forced convection caused by DC-PMF. With single DC-PMF, the grain size in the equiaxed zone is uneven. However, under DC-PMF, by adding 0.05% （mass fraction） Al5Ti-B, the grain size of the sample is smaller, and the size distribution is more uniform than that of single DC-PMF. Furthermore, under the combination of DC-PMF and inoculation, with the increase of output current, the grain size is further reduced. When the output current increases to 100 A, the average grain size can decrease to 113 μn.

INFLUENCE OF PULSED MAGNETIC FIELD ON MICROSTRUC-TURES AND MACRO-SEGREGATION IN 2124 Al-ALLOY

The structures and macro-segregation of 2124 Al-alloy were studied when a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) was applied during solidification. It is found through experi-ments that a remarkable change occurs in the solidification structures of 2124 Al-alloy under pulsed magnetic field. The eutectic phase at grain boundaries change from thick continuous eutectic network to thin discontinuous one, and the distribution of solute elements was also homogenized. The typical negative segregation phenomenon of Cu in common solidification condition was restrained, and the segregation of Mg decreased.

Microstructure refinement of AZ31 alloy solidified with pulsed magnetic field

The effects of a pulsed magnetic field on the solidified microstructure of an AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated.The experimental results show that the remarkable microstructural refinement is achieved when the pulsed magnetic field is applied to the solidification of the AZ31 alloy.The average grain size of the as-cast microstructure of the AZ31 alloy is refined to 107 μm.By quenching the AZ31 alloy, the different primary α-Mg microstructures are preserved during the course of solidification.The microstructure evolution reveals that the primary α-Mg generates and grows in globular shape with pulsed magnetic field, contrast with the dendritic shape without pulsed magnetic field.The pulsed magnetic field causes melt convection during solidification, which makes the temperature of the whole melt homogenized, and produces an undercooling zone in front of the liquid/solid interface, which makes the nucleation rate increased and big dendrites prohibited.In addition, the Joule heat effect induced in the melt also strengthens the grain refinement effect and spheroidization of dendrite arms.

Structure Evolution and Solidification Behavior of Austenitic Stainless Steel in Pulsed Magnetic Field

To understand the solidification behavior of austenitic stainless steel in pulsed magnetic field, the solidification process is investigated by means of the self-made high voltage pulse power source and the solidification tester. The results show that the solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel can be remarkably refined in pulsed magnetic field, yet the grains become coarse again when the magnetic intensity is exceedingly large, indicating that an optimal intensity range existed for structure refinement. The solidification temperature can be enhanced with an increase in the magnetic intensity. The solidification time is shortened obviously, but the shortening degree is reduced with the increase of the magnetic intensity.

Sterilization of Escherichia coli cells by the application of pulsed magnetic field

The inactivation of microorganisms by pulsed magnetic field was studied. It was improved that the application of electromagnetic pulses evidently causes a lethal effect on E. coli cells suspended in phosphate buffer solution Na 2HPO 4/NaH 2PO 4(0 334/0 867 mmol/L). Experimental results indicated that the survivability(N/N 0; where N 0 and N are the number of cells survived per mill il iter before and after electromagnetic pulses application, respectively) of E. coli decreased with magnetic field intensity B and treatment time t. It was also found that the medium temperatures, the frequencies of pulse f, and the initial bacterial cell concentrations have determinate influences in destruction of E. coli cells by the application of magnetic pulses. The application of an magnetic intensity B=160 mT at pulses frequency f=62 kHz and treatment time t=16 h result in a considerable destruction levels of E. coli cells (N/N 0=10 -4 ). Possible mechanisms involved in sterilization of the magnetic field treatment were discussed. In order to shorten the treatment time, many groups of parallel inductive coil were used. The practicability test showed that the treatment time was shortened to 4 h with the application of three groups of parallel coil when the survivability of E.coli cells was less than 0 01%; and the power consumption was about 0 2 kWh /m 3.

Numerical and experimental studies on solidification of AZ80 magnesium alloy under out-of-phase pulsed magnetic field

For obtaining the finer grains of magnesium alloy,a novel combined pulsed magnetic field with different initial phases,also called out-ofphase pulsed magnetic field(OPPMF),was applied to study the solidification structure of AZ80 magnesium alloy.The numerical simulation was simultaneously conducted to investigate the refinement mechanisms.The experimental results showed that the macrostructure could be effectively refined by applying external magnetic field.Meanwhile,finer grains were obtained with the higher current intensity.However,the increase of current intensity could only refine the grains to about 0.5 mm.Furthermore,compared to a single pulsed magnetic field(PMF)and alternating series of OPPMF(Connection II),a finer structure was observed when the consecutive series of OPPMF(Connection I)was imposed.In contrast with a single PMF and Connection II,the numerical results showed that the greater axial Lorentz force was obtained under the Connection I,generating the stronger forced flow in the melt.It is believed that abundant nuclei could detach from the mold wall and move faster into the interior melt due to the stronger forced flow;besides,the lower superheat and greater temperature uniformity in bulk melt were realized,accounting for the finest structures under the Connection I.

In-situ fabrication of particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composites under high-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field

Pulsed magnetic field is generated when imposing pulse signal on high-frequency magnetic field. Distribution of the inner magnetic intensity in induction coils tends to be uniform. Furthermore oscillation and disturbance phenomena appear in the melt. In. situ Al2O3 and Al3Zr particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composites have been synthesized by direct melt reaction using AlZr（CO3）2 components under a foreign field. The size of reinforced particulates is 2-3 μm. They are well distributed in the matrix. Thermodynamic and kinetic analysis show that high-frequency pulsed magnetic field accelerates heat and mass transfer processes and improves the kinetic condition of in-situ fabrication.

Soft magnetic properties of amorphous Fe_(52)Co_(34)Hf_7B_6Cu_1 alloy treated by pulsed magnetic field and annealing

The crystallization, microstructure, and soft magnetic properties of Fe52Co34Hf7B6Cul alloy are studied. Amorphous Fe52Co34Hf7B6Cul alloys are first treated by a pulsed magnetic field with a medium frequency, and then annealed at 100 ℃-400 ℃ for 30 min in a vacuum. The rise in temperature during the treatment by a pulsed magnetic field is measured by a non-contact infrared thermometer. The soft magnetic properties of specimens are measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. The microstructure changes of specimens are observed by a MSssbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope （TEM）. The results show the medium-frequency pulsating magnetic field will pro- mote nanocrystallization of the amorphous alloy with a lower temperature rise. The nanocrystalline phase is （α-Fe（Co） with bcc crystal structure, and the grain size is about 10 nm. After vacuum annealing at 100 ℃ for 30 min, scattering nanocrystalline phases become more uniform, the coercive force and the saturation magnetization of the specimens are 41.98 A/m and 185.15 emu/g.

The pulsed high magnetic field facility and scientific research at Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center

Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center(WHMFC)at Huazhong University of Science and Technology is one of the top-class research centers in the world,which can offer pulsed fields up to 90.6 T with different field waveforms for scientific research and has passed the final evaluation of the Chinese government in 2014.This paper will give a brief introduction of the facility and the development status of pulsed magnetic fields research at WHMFC.In addition,it will describe the application development of pulsed magnetic fields in both scientific and industrial research.

Simulation of electromagnetic-flow fields in Mg melt under pulsed magnetic field

The effects of a pulsed magnetic field on the solidified microstructure of pure Mg were investigated.The results show that microstructure of pure Mg is considerably refined via columnar-to-equiaxed growth under the pulsed magnetic field and the average grain size is refined to 260？？ under the optimal processing conditions.A mathematical model was built to describe the interaction of the electromagnetic-flow fields during solidification with ANSYS software.The pulsed electric circuit was first solved and then it is substituted into the magnetic field model.The fluid flow model was solved with the acquired electromagnetic force.The effects of pulse voltage frequency on the current wave and on the distribution of magnetic and flow fields were numerically studied.The pulsed magnetic field increases melt convection,which stirs and fractures the dendritic arms into pieces.These broken pieces are transported into the bulk liquid by the liquid flow and act as nuclei to enhance grain refinement.The Joule heat effect produced by the electric current also participates in the microstructural refinement.

Effects of pulsed magnetic field on density reduction of high flow velocity plasma sheath

A three-dimensional model is proposed in this paper to study the effect of the pulsed magnetic field on the density distribution of high flow velocity plasma sheath.Taking the typical parameters of plasma sheath at the height of 71 km as an example,the distribution characteristics and time evolution characteristics of plasma density in the flow field under the action of pulsed magnetic field,as well as the effect of self-electric field on the distribution of plasma density,are studied.The simulation results show that pulsed magnetic field can effectively reduce the density of plasma sheath.Meanwhile,the simulation results of three-dimensional plasma density distribution show that the size of the density reduction area is large enough to meet the communication requirements of the Global Position System(GPS)signal.Besides,the location of density reduction area provides a reference for the appropriate location of antenna.The time evolution of plasma density shows that the effective density reduction time can reach 62%of the pulse duration,and the maximum reduction of plasma density can reach 55%.Based on the simulation results,the mechanism of the interaction between pulsed magnetic field and plasma flow field is physically analyzed.Furthermore,the simulation results indicate that the density distributions of electrons and ions are consistent under the action of plasma self-electric field.However,the quasi neutral assumption of plasma in the flow field is not appropriate,because the self-electric field of plasma will weaken the effect of the pulsed magnetic field on the reduction of electron density,which cannot be ignored.The calculation results could provide useful information for the mitigation of communication blackout in hypersonic vehicles.

A 7 T Pulsed Magnetic Field Generator for Magnetized Laser Plasma Experiments

A pulsed magnetic field generator was developed to study the effect of a magnetic field on the evolution of a laser-generated plasma. A 40 kV pulsed power system delivered a fast （-230 ns）, 55 kA current pulse into a single-turn coil surrounding the laser target, using a capacitor bank of 200 nF, a laser-triggered switch and a low-impedance strip transmission line. A one-dimensional uniform 7 T pulsed magnetic field was created using a Helmholtz coil pair with a 6 mm diameter. The pulsed magnetic field was controlled to take effect synchronously with a nanosecond heating laser beam, a femtosecond probing laser beam and an optical Intensified Charge Coupled Device （ICCD） detector. The preliminary experiments demonstrate bifurcation and focusing of plasma expansion in a transverse magnetic field.

Regulation of the density distribution of a strongly dissipative plasma by a pulsed magnetic field

A pulsed transverse magnetic field with pulse width of 12 ms and magnitude of 2 T was used to modify the density distribution of a weakly-ionized plasma flow with strong collisions between the charged particles and neutrals.The morphology of the plasma is changed substantially,with the density increased upstream and decreased downstream.Meanwhile,the plasma toward the axis contracts laterally and gradually converges to a collimated flow.In addition,a drift wave is observed to be excited in the inhomogeneous plasma by the magnetic field.

Research on the grain refinement under pulsed magnetic field

In this paper,the principle of Pulsed Magnetic Field(PMF) force was analyzed through mathematical analyses.By theoretical analysis and calculation,the results show that the great electromagnetic force is made in the melt under pulsed magnetic field,as well as changing its direction in different places of melt at the same time.It enforces the crystallizing nucleus and brittle crystallite to fragment in the solidification processing.From the point of view,one of the main factors of grain refinement is that the fragmentations occur under a pulsed magnetic field by preliminary judgement. The feasibility of application in the metallurgical industry under PMF was discussed through comparing the results of grain refinement under EMS.According to the theoretic calculation,the power consumption under EMS is 5 -8 times the amount under PMF,when both of magnetic flux density B are 0.07T.That is to say,the better effect on grain refining can be obtained under PMF,compared with EMS,even in the lower power consumption.The solidification experiments of Sn-20%Pb alloy are conducted under the same experimental conditions that the magnetic intensity is 0.07T in the center of the crucible,it also shows that PMF has a better effect on grain refining than EMS. Combined with the continuous casting process,the influence of pulsed parameters and the metallurgical effects with applying PMF at different solidification stages was investigated.There are different grain refining effects under PMF in different solidification stages,and there are different grain refining effects under PMF in different PMF parameters.For the Sn-20%Pb alloy or silicon steel,it is more effective during the initial stage,in which the pulse frequency is 5Hz.For the Sn-20%Pb alloy,the average grain size ofβphase is the smallest,when applying the PMF during the temperature of melt decreasing from 201℃to 184℃.Further investigation of the specified technique parameters for industrial applications are required.

The Magnetic Anisotropy and Complete Phase Diagram of CuFeO2 Measured in a Pulsed High Magnetic Field up to 75 T

The magnetization behavior of a CuFeO2 single crystal grown by the floating zone technique is investigated with a pulsed high magnetic field. We observe a series of field-induced multi-step-like transitions with hysteresis, of which the critical magnetic fields are temperature-dependent and show anisotropy. By using a pulsed high magnetic field up to 75 T, the magnetization behavior shows that the critical transition magnetic fields of spin- flip/flop shift to lower field regions with an increase in temperature. According to the magnetization curves, a complete magnetic phase diagram is depicted.

Modelling the unsteady melt flow under a pulsed magnetic field

A numerical model for the unsteady flow under a pulsed magnetic field of a solenoid is developed, in which magnetohydrodynamic flow equations decouple into a transient magnetic diffusion equation and unsteady Navier–Stokes equations in conjunction with two equations of the k–ε turbulent model. A Fourier series method is used to implement the boundary condition of magnetic flux density under multiple periods of a pulsed magnetic field （PMF）. The numerical results are compared with the theoretical or experimental results to validate the model under a time-harmonic magnetic field; it is found that the toroidal vortex pair is the dominating structure within the melt flow under a PMF. The velocity field of a molten melt is in a quasi-steady state after several periods; changing the direction of the electromagnetic force causes the vibration of the melt surface under a PMF.

Gradient Microstructure of K4169 Superalloy Prepared by Low Voltage Pulsed Magnetic Field Combined with Directional Solidification

The influence of the low voltage pulsed magnetic field(LVPMF)on the microstructure transition of K4169 superalloy was investigated.The gradient microstructure of K4169 superalloy composed of columnar grains,coarse grains,and fine grains was prepared through the combined method of LVPMF with directional solidification,which provided a new approach for the preparation of superalloy with gradient microstructure.The distribution of the Lorentz force and flow field under LVPMF effect was simulated,and therefore the microstructure transition mechanism was revealed.Results show that the microstructure transition should be attributed to the coupling effects of the Lorentz force and forced convection.