An Application of Superconducting Technology in the Material Processing

Abstract

An Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (EPM) applies various electromagnetic phenomena to materials processing. An EPM is mainly applied to steel-making processes like heating, melting, stirring, flow control and so on. However, its application has been extended recently to nonferrous metals like aluminum, and even to nonmagnetic materials by the use of DC superconducting magnets. In the present paper, examples of EPM are shown and the applicability of superconducting magnets to conventional EPM is investigated. If AC superconducting magnets are applied to conventional EPM, the limit of EPM due to the weakness of the magnetic field will be broken and a new stage of EPM applications will be opened.