On nucleation temperature of pure aluminum in magnetic fields

Abstract

Solidification of pure aluminum without and with a magnetic field has been investigated by di®erential thermal analysis (DTA). DTA curves showed that the nucleation temperature of pure aluminum was decreased as a magnetic field strength increased although its melting process was almost not influenced. The nucleation suppression could be attributed to the increase of the solid- liquid interfacial energy which might originate from more orderly arrangement of atoms on the solid-liquid interface upon applying a magnetic field.