Apparatus of zone refining and controlling solute segregation in solidifying melts by electromagnetic means

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLED SOLIDIFICATION OF MOLTEN MATERIAL, IN COMBINATION, MEANS FOR HEATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE MATERIAL TO ITS MELTING TEMPERATURE, A CASING FOR RETAINING THE MATERIAL AND DISSIPATING HEAT FROM SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL TO CAUSE SOLIDIFICATION THEREOF IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER AND FORMING A SOLIDIFICATION INTERFACE, MAGNETIC MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF COILS CAPABLE OF BEING ENERGIZED WITH ALTERNATING CURRENT, MEANS FOR CONNECTING EACH OF THE COILS TO A SOURCE OF POLYPHASE ALTERNATING ELECTRICAL CURRENT IN A PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE SUCH THAT THE PASSAGE OF THE ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCES AT LEAST TWO VARIABLE MAGNETIC FIELDS, THE MAGNETIC MEANS BEING SO ASSOCIATED AND SHAPED AS TO FIT CLOSELY TO AT LEAST THAT PORTION OF THE BODY OF THE MOLTEN MATERIAL AT WHICH SAID SOLIDIFICATION TAKES PLACE SO THAT A HIGH PROPORTION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD PENETRATES INTO THE MOLTEN MATERAL WHEREBY TO CAUSE THE MOLTEN MATERIAL TO BE STIRRED IN VARYING DIRECTIONS AND WITH VARYING FORCE ADJACENT THE SOLIDIFICATION INTERFACE.