Magnetically Affected Recrystallization and Grain Growth in Non-Ferromagnetic Metals

Abstract

The latest research on magnetically affected texture and grain structure evolution during recrystallization and grain growth in non-magnetic metals is reviewed. The microstructure development during grain growth in magnetically anisotropic zinc, titanium and zirconium can be effectively influenced by means of magnetic annealing. This is due to an additional driving force for grain boundary motion which arises from a difference in magnetic free energy density between differently oriented grains. Grain growth kinetics in anisotropic non-magnetic materials is substantially modified in the presence of a magnetic field. However, a magnetic field can affect the microstructure evolution not only at the stage of grain growth, but also at earlier stages, i.e. recovery and primary re-crystallization. Also, the impact of a magnetic field is not confined to magnetically anisotropic metals but can be observed in materials with magnetically isotropic properties.