Metallurgical Abstracts on Light Metals and Alloys vol.56

Processing of magnesium alloy by energy-intensive multifunction cavitation in a strong magnetic ﬁeld with laser light excitation and associated sonoluminescence

Toshihiko Yoshimura*, Tomoya Noda* and Masataka Ijiri**
* Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sanyo-Onoda City University
** Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University

[Published in Results in Materials, Vol. 18 (2023), 100391 pp.1-11]

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinma.2023.100391
E-mail: yoshimura-t[at]rs.socu.ac.jp
Key Words: Multifunction cavitation, Laser light excitation, Multiphoton excitation, Energy-intensive multifunction cavitation, Lorentz force, Coulomb force

This work developed a novel metal processing technique referred to as laser-assisted magnetic energy-intensive multifunction cavitation. This technology employs a strong magnetic ﬁeld to focus bubble energy while applying sonic radiation around a waterjet cavitation jet. Individual bubbles in the cavitation cloud undergo repeated isothermal expansion and adiabatic compression, raising the temperature and pressure of the bubbles. In addition, the presence of a magnetic ﬁeld over the region between the nozzle exit and the cavitation cloud in which cavitation primarily occurs greatly increases the number and energy density of charged bubble collisions based on the Lorentz force acting between the bubbles. The application of laser light to the charged bubble cloud provides multiphoton excitation that increases the charges of the ions within each bubble, leading to more active collisions. This enhanced cavitation treatment technology was applied to AZ31B magnesium alloy and was found to improve the functionality of the metal.