Present and future prospect in electromagnetic processing of materials

M. Garnier

MADYLAM, BP 95, 38402 St Martin d Heres, France

Abstract
During the last past years a worldwide research and development activity has developed out of the rich association between Magnetohydrodynamics and Materials Processing. This original field now called “Electromagnetic Processing of Materials” is attractive and promising not only in research, through the analysis of the new physical phenomena involved, but also in industrial applications. EPM, which takes large benefit of many years of fundamental research in Magnetohydrodynamics, is spurred on the success of electromagnetic techniques and now it is in use in continuous casting of steel products. Induction heating, melting, electromagnetic shaping, casting, stirring are studied in laboratories or used at industrial scale to manufacture materials with the given properties, not only metals but also oxides, glasses, ceramics or semi conductors. Refs 16.