Research on the non-linear temperature field of molten metal shaped by an electromagnetic field in DS processing

A new directional solidification (DS) technique, combining electromagnetic shaping with liquid metal cooling, is established to confine and shape liquid metal by an electromagnetic field without the mold and carry out DS with a high-temperature gradient. The motion of the sample, heat radiation, and especially the material-property difference between the solid and the liquid, are considered for electromagnetic heating. Thereafter, a non-linear temperature model is established to calculate the position of the solid/liquid interface with respect to the furnace, the height of liquid metal and the temperature distribution in stainless-steel samples. The results of calculation are in good agreement with experimental measurements. On the basis of the model, experimental parameters, such as the intensity of cooling, and the current in the induction coils, can be further optimized so as to control the morphology of the solid/liquid interface, the temperature gradient and the axial temperature distribution in the liquid metal. A FEM approach is developed in this paper.