Strong static magnetic field processing of metallic materials: A review

Metallic materials processing in an imposed strong static magnetic field (SSMF) has attracted widely attention in the last decade since a magnetic field of 10 T or higher becomes easily attainable. Fundamentals including magnetic energy, magnetic anisotropy and magnetic forces influence significantly the research and development of this technology by means of both scientific and engineering paths. The ability to control metallic materials processing depends crucially on the understanding of the fundamentals and subsequently the engineering of the strong magnetic field effects. This review provides a critical examination of different SSMF effects together with the fundamentals that can be used in liquid/solid metal controlling and the subsequent metallic materials preparation. These effects are discussed by integrating them into different technologies or experimental results and accompanied by theoretical considerations of the fundamentals. Comprehensive comparisons are then carried out for each series of SSMF effects. It is aiming to provide an overview of the recent progress in SSMF processing of metallic materials. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.