Electropulsing metal and alloys,a path to ultra-clean metals & alloys

The Electropulsing process consists of passing high density electric pulses through the liquid metal (eg. steel).
A typical rapid pulse lasts  1/50,000 seconds. The low conductivity of non-metallic particles (inclusions)  in high conductivity liquid metals, say liquid steel, has been shown to both influence the inclusion formation and better expulse the inclusions from the liquid metal. Naturally an inclusion trap is necessary. The technique is an important improvement on other methods such as electromagnetic stirring or inert gas bubbling which tend to limit the smallest inclusions to 20 microns in size, too large for ultra clean applications (eg. steels for large surface applics., knives or high duty - high reliability applications.)

Such Technology and Processing has already caught the attention of Steelmaking Giants, India's TATA, Korean POSCO and  etc.

Prof Rongshan Qin has been publishing in the field of electropulsing metal technology especially liquid steels and metals since around 1996, over a substantial period of 18years.

His work and his current backing were brought to my attention by an article in my Institute (IOM3) House Journal "Materials World" full reference to MW's article cf. below.

A short list of  Prof Qin's publications chosen from his website at Imperial College London in order to give a rapid view of the electropulsed process and technology in metals and alloys(steel) are as follows:
  
- A healing model for metallic materials: theoretical study, BIOMIMETICS, 1996, Vol:4, Pages:121-128

- Solidification of Pb-Sn alloy under electropulsings, ACTA METALL SINICA, 1997, Vol:32, Pages:352-356

 - Effect of electric current pulses on grain size in castings, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NON-EQUILIBRIUM PROCESSING, 1998, Vol:11, Pages:77-86, ISSN:1368-9290

- Accelerated spheroidization induced by high intensity electric pulse in a severely deformed eutectoid steel, Journal of Materials Research, 2010, Vol:25, Pages:1020-1024.

- Effect of electropulsing on grain refinement of a medium carbon low alloy steel, Advanced Materials Research, 2011, Vol:146-147, Pages:1849-1854

-  Electropulse-induced cementite nanoparticle formation in deformed pearlitic steels, Journal of Materials Science, 2011, Vol:46, Pages:2838-2842, ISSN:0022-2461

- The effect of hot- and cold-rolling on the electropulse-induced microstructure and property changes in medium carbon low alloy steels, Steel Research International, 2013, Vol:84, Pages:443-4

-Removal of MnS inclusions in molten steel using electropulsing, Scripta Materialia, 2013, ISSN:1359-6462

Full list of Publications


Dr. Rongshan Qin, biography


Materials World, Vol.21, Issue 3, Page 19 (2013). Pulsating steel - quicker and cleaner fabrication

Companies which show an interest are POSCO Corea, TATA-India and Wuhan Steel Co - China, to mention but a few probably,2010 ref MW. V21  & R. Qin Research, Imperial College London