1990 Volume 76 Issue 6 Pages 863-869
The electromagnetic atomization process in which molten metal was atomized by imposing electric and magnetic fields was studied. In order to improve the controllability of this process, splashing phenomena of molten metal were visualized by use of a high speed camera and a VTR. The observed phenomena were carefully examined and main obstacles disturbing the continuous operation of the process and the sharp particle distribution were removed. A mathematical model was proposed for the better understanding of the process. On the basis of the visualization of splashing phenomena and the calculated results of the mathematical model, it was found that the particle size could be mainly controlled by the distance between a nozzle and an electrode, the delay time of electric current and the mass flow rate of molten metal. The impulse defined as the products of electromagnetic body force and the period of applying electric current, and the momentum of a splashed particle defined as the products of the mass and the velocity of a particle were calculated from the observed data. From the linear relation between the impulse and the momentum, the efficiency in which electromagnetic energy was transformed into the kinetic energy of a particle was evaluated.
