Unidirectional solidification of TbFe2 alloy using magnetic field in microgravity

Abstract Unidirectional solidification experiments of TbFe 2 alloy using a static magnetic field in microgravity were performed in the Japan Microgravity Center. When the magnetic field strength was increased from 0 to 4.5×10 −2 T during unidirectional solidification in microgravity, a [1 1 1] crystallographic alignment of the grains dominated, and the maximum magnetostriction constant increased from 1000 to 4000 ppm. For unidirectional solidification in normal gravity, the maximum magnetostriction constant remained at 2000 ppm with increasing of magnetic field.