1a. Measurement of thermophysical properties of slags using viscometry and the discharge crucible method
Researchers: Lily Ren and Hani Henein
Funding: NSERC
Status: in progress
1b. Measurement of thermophysical properties of alloys using viscometry and the discharge crucible method
Researchers: Quentin Champdoizeau and Hani Henein
Funding: NSERC
Status: in progress
High-temperature processes, such as refining, welding, casting, and additive manufacturing, can operate more efficiently with the accurate knowledge of density (ρ), viscosity (μ), and surface tension (σ). To optimize high-temperature metallurgical processes, a complete database of the thermophysical properties of steels and slags is required. The Advanced Materials and Processing Laboratory developed a new, ground-based, technique able to measure ρ, μ and σ in a simple, robust and cost-effective manner. This newly developed technique, coined Discharge Crucible (DC), has been used to measure low melting-point alloys, such as aluminum and tin; however, it has never been used on high melting-point alloys. The goal of this project is to investigate the thermophysical properties of metallic alloys and slags using the DC method. The thermophysical property results provided by DC will be compared to those obtained from the European Space Agency's electromagnetic levitation experiments conducted on the International Space Station. Viscosity measurements using a Brookfield viscometer will also be used to validate the results.