Continuous method for manufacturing grain-oriented magnetostrictive bodies
AssigneeIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsEdwin D. Gibson, John D. Verhoeven, Frederick A. Schmidt, O. Dale McMasters
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Abstract
The invention comprises a continuous casting and crystallization method for manufacturing grain-oriented magnetostrictive bodies. A magnetostrictive alloy is melted in a crucible having a bottom outlet. The melt is discharged through the bottom of the crucible and deposited in an elongated mold. Heat is removed from the deposited melt through the lower end portion of the mold to progressively solidify the melt. The solid-liquid interface of the melt moves directionally upwardly from the bottom to the top of the mold, to produce the axial grain orientation.
Claims12
A continuous casting and crystallization method for manufacturing grain-oriented magnetostrictive bodies, comprising the steps of:
- (a) melting and mixing a quantity of a rare earth-iron magnetostrictive alloy in a crucible enclosed within an upper portion of a downwardly-extending chamber by applied induction heating, said crucible having an outlet port through its bottom wall with openable closure means associated therewith;
- (b) depositing a portion of the resulting melt through said outlet port into the open top of at least one vertically-elongated mold tube positioned below the crucible, and
- (c) removing heat from the deposited melt through the lower end portion of the mold tube to progressively solidify said melt, a solid-liquid interface moving upwardly from the bottom to the top of said melt and producing a solidified magnetostrictive body having an axial grain orientation, whereby grain-oriented magnetostrictive bodies are produced without using a sequence of casting, zone melting, and recrystallization steps.
A continuous casting and crystallization method for manufacturing grain-oriented magnetostrictive rods, comprising the steps of:
- (a) melting and mixing a quantity of a rare earth-iron magnetostrictive alloy in a crucible enclosed within an upper portion of a downwardly-extending chamber by applied induction heating, said crucible having an outlet port through its bottom wall with openable closure means associated therewith;
- (b) releasing the resulting melt from said crucible through said outlet port by opening said closure means, the said melt being deposited into the open top of at least one vertically-elongated, rod-forming mold tube positioned in said chamber below said crucible, the bottom of said mold tube comprising a heat-transfer wall and the lower end portion of said tube being mounted on support means providing a liquid-flow cooling chamber in heat transfer relation with said mold tube bottom wall;
- (c) providing heating means for said mold tube adjacent the upper melt-receiving position of said mold tube, and heating said mold tube before said melt is deposited therein;
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- (d) removing heat from the deposited melt through the lower end portion of the mold tube so as to progressively solidify said melt with a solid-liquid interface moving upwardly from the bottom to the top of said melt, and producing a solidified magnetostrictive rod having an axial grain orientation whereby grain-oriented magnetostrictive bodies are produced without using a sequence of casting, zone melting, and recrystallization steps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.