Effect of thermoelectric magnetic force on the array of dendrites during directional solidification of Al–Cu alloys in a high magnetic field

By eliminating the effect of the magnetic moment arising from the magnetic crystalline anisotropy, the effect of the thermoelectric magnetic force on the array of dendrites during directional solidification of Al–35 wt%Cu and Al-40 wt%Cu alloys in a high magnetic field has been investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the dendrite array is essentially destroyed, a result that could have general significance for understanding the processes involved in the solidification of alloys in a magnetic field.

Keywords:

• thermoelectric magnetic force
• magnetic field
• Al₂Cu dendrite
• Al-Cu alloy

Acknowledgments

This work is supported partly by the European Space Agency through the IMPRESS project, Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51171106 and 2011CB610404), and the Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning.