Inductive Measurement of Thermophysical Properties of Metallic Melts

Abstract

For investigations on highly reacting metallic melts, metallic melts at high temperatures, or undercooled metallic melts, containerless handling methods of the liquid as well as contactless measurement methods are beneficial or even mandatory. For the containerless processing of metallic melts we use the well established electromagnetic levitation technique, which utilizes high frequency alternating magnetic fields for the contactless, inductive positioning and heating of electrically conducting samples. For the contactless measurement of the thermophysical properties of the samples optical methods are generally used. But the existence of high frequency magnetic fields suggests to use also inductive methods for noncontact measurements of liquid metal properties. In the following a measurement device is presented which utilizes the high frequency magnetic field of a microgravity electromagnetic levitation facility simultaneously also for an inductive determination of thermophysical properties of levitated metallic melts, like surface tension, viscosity and electrical resistivity.