Thermal and high magnetic field treatment of materials and associated apparatus
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsRoger Kisner, John Wilgen, Gerard Ludtka, Roger Jaramillo, Gail Mackiewicz-Ludtka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for altering characteristics, such as can include structural, magnetic, electrical, optical or acoustical characteristics, of an electrically-conductive workpiece utilizes a magnetic field within which the workpiece is positionable and schemes for thermally treating the workpiece by heating or cooling techniques in conjunction with the generated magnetic field so that the characteristics of the workpiece are effected by both the generated magnetic field and the thermal treatment of the workpiece.
Claims29
An apparatus for altering characteristics of a workpiece which includes an electrically-conductive material, the apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a magnetic field within which a workpiece which includes an electrically-conductive material is positionable;
- and
- means associated with the magnetic field-generating means for thermally treating the workpiece in conjunction with the generated magnetic field so that the characteristics of the workpiece are effected by both the generated magnetic field and the thermal treatment.
An apparatus for altering the characteristics of an electrically-conductive workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a high magnetic field within which an electrically-conductive workpiece whose characteristics are desired to be altered is positionable and wherein the high magnetic field possesses a field strength of at least about one Tesla;
- means associated with the magnetic field generating means for altering the temperature of the workpiece in conjunction with the generated magnetic field so that the characteristics of a workpiece being worked upon by the apparatus are effected by both the high magnetic field generated by the magnetic field-generating means and the temperature-altering means.
The apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein the cooling means includes means defining a passageway within which the workpiece is positionable for cooling by the cooling means, and the cooling medium is directed by the directing means into the passageway of the passageway-defining means where the cooling medium comes into contact with the workpiece.
The apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the means for controlling includes means for monitoring the temperature of the workpiece as it is being worked upon by the apparatus.
A process for altering characteristics of a workpiece which includes an electrically-conductive material, the process comprising the steps of:
- exposing a workpiece which includes an electrically-conductive material to an ultrahigh magnetic field;
- and
- thermally treating the workpiece in conjunction with the exposure of the workpiece to the magnetic field so that the characteristics of the workpiece are effected by both the high magnetic field and the thermal treatment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.