A novel electromagnetic apparatus for in-situ synchrotron X-ray imaging study of the separation of phases in metal solidification
Billy Koe,
Colin Abraham,
Chris Bailey,
Bob Greening,
Martin Small,
Thomas Connolley,
Jiawei Mi
Affiliations
Billy Koe
Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom; Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom; Corresponding authors at: Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
Colin Abraham
Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
Chris Bailey
Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
Bob Greening
Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
Martin Small
Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
Thomas Connolley
Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
Jiawei Mi
Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom; Corresponding authors at: Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom.
As a part of a research into new techniques for purifying recycled aluminium alloys, a novel electromagnetic apparatus had been developed for investigating in real-time the separation mechanisms of detrimental inclusions in aluminium alloy melts under alternating magnetic fields. The magnetic coil was designed based on the Helmholtz coil design. A viewing gap was designed for in-situ imaging studies using synchrotron X-rays. The gap was designed to maintain a uniform magnetic field in the central region where a sample is positioned. The current setup for the magnetic coil pair is able to produce a peak magnetic flux density of ~10 mT at a frequency of 25 kHz. A separate electrical resistance furnace, designed to concentrically fit within the magnetic coils, was used to control the heating (up to ~850°C) and cooling of the samples. After a series of systematic tests and commissioning, the apparatus was used in a number of in-situ and ex-situ experiments.