A Preliminary Study of Electromagnetic Confinement and Directional Solidification of Platy Specimens of Stainless Steels

A method for producing metal and alloy ingots from their melts by electromagnetic moulds instead of physical moulds is proposed. This technique is based on eddy current flowing in the alloy material and electromagnetic pressure on the surface of the specimen from an induction coil around the specimen. A theoretical model for the distribution of the electromagnetic field in the material is established and the electromagnetic pressure exerted on the melt surface as well as the temperature field in the sample are set up. For a growing platy ingot with polyhedral cross section a three‐dimensional numerical analysis of the electromagnetic pressure and temperature field is carried out. As a result of the extensive experimental study and theoretical analysis, platy samples of rectangular cross sections are successfully obtained by the electromagnetic container‐less confinement process.