Method for densification of powdered material using thermal cycling and magnetic cycling

A method for densifying a material that exhibits allotropic transformation, the method comprising:

• arranging the material in a cavity of a mold;
• applying pressure to the material in the mold;
• while applying pressure to the material in the mold, applying a magnetic field to the material in the mold to cause the material to transform between a first allotrope phase and a second allotrope phase;
• wherein applying the magnetic field to the material comprises magnetic cycling the magnetic field to cause the material to transform between the first allotrope phase and the second allotrope phase, and wherein magnetic cycling comprises one or more iterations of (i) adjusting the magnetic field to a first strength of magnetic field and then (ii) adjusting the magnetic field to a second strength of magnetic field;
• determining a density of the material during the magnetic cycling of the magnetic field;
• responsive to determination that the determined density of the material reaches a threshold density, stopping the magnetic cycling of the magnetic field;
• and
• wherein the magnetic field applied to the material is directed or intensified by a field concentrator.

A method for densifying a material that exhibits allotropic transformation, the method comprising:

• arranging the material in a cavity of a mold;
• applying pressure to the material in the mold, wherein applying pressure to the material in the mold comprises applying uniaxial pressure via a ram assembly;
• while applying pressure to the material in the mold, applying a magnetic field to the material in the mold to cause the material to transform between a first allotrope phase and a second allotrope phase;
• wherein applying the magnetic field to the material comprises magnetic cycling the magnetic field to cause the material to transform between the first allotrope phase and the second allotrope phase, and wherein magnetic cycling comprises one or more iterations of (i) adjusting the magnetic field to a first strength of magnetic field and then (ii) adjusting the magnetic field to a second strength of magnetic field;
• and
• responsive to determination that the ram assembly has ceased movement during magnetic cycling of the magnetic field, stopping the magnetic cycling of the magnetic field.