Effect of Pulsed Magnetic Field on Solidification Structure of 3003/4004 Cladding Ingots

A new method using pulsed magnetic field (PMF) to produce cladding ingots of 3003 and 4004 aluminum alloy was investigated. The interface region of the cladding ingots was studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and electron probe microanalysis. The results indicate that in the PMF, the inner layer solidification structure of 4004 alloy changes from dendritic crystals to cellular grains. It is also observed that there appear lots of alpha-AlMnSi particles near the interface of 3003 and 4004 alloy when PMF is imposed.