Effect of Rotating Magnetic Field on Microstructure Evolution of Pb-Bi Alloys

Abstract

Solidification behaviour of Pb-Bi alloys under rotating magnetic field (RMF) was investigated experimentally to understand the effect of the frequency of RMF on the nucleation and growth behaviour. It was found that, as the increase of the rotating frequency, the grains are fragmented and refined gradually until a transition from columnar to equiaxed microstructures happens at a rotating frequency of 40 Hz. Moreover, the Bi concentration of the primary phase decreases and macrosegregation is eliminated effectively with RMF. These are due to the effect of RMF on the nucleation, growth and fluid flow in the solidification process.