Grain refinement of Sn–Pb alloy under a novel combined pulsed magnetic field during solidification

Abstract

The combined pulsed magnetic field (C-PMF) obtained by simultaneously imposing pulsed and static magnetic field during solidification has been proposed to refine the solidification structure. Compared to the imposition of a single pulsed magnetic field, a more refined structure can be observed under C-PMF. The key factors to affect grain refinement under C-PMF consisted of the vibration frequency characterized by the static magnetic field, pulsed discharge voltage, and the vibration frequency characterized by the pulsed discharge frequency. The microstructure revealed that the grain size decreased with the increasing static magnetic field. The pulsed discharge voltage had an optimum value for obtaining fine grains. Furthermore, when the pulsed discharge frequency was equal to the intrinsic frequency of the liquid metal in a filled cylindrical vessel, resonance vibration occurred in the liquid surface, and grain refinement was promoted.