High Temperature Metallic Melt - Electrical Resistivity Measurement of High Temperature Metallic Melts

The electrical resistivity of metallic melts is of obvious importance to many liquid metal processing operations, because it controls the melt flow under the influence of electromagnetic fields, e.g., during casting processes, or in crystal growth furnaces. On the other hand, via the Wiedemann-Franz law, the knowledge of the temperature dependent electrical resistivity also enables for many liquid metals an indirect determination of the temperature dependent thermal conductivity without disturbances by any convective fluid flow in the sample. Here we propose the measurement of the electrical resistivity of pure and industrial relevant high temperature metallic melts. For hot metallic melts containerless handling and measurement methods, as provided in the Material Science Lab / Electromagnetic Levitator (MSL / EML) facility, are mandatory. In microgravity this facility yields an optimal experimental environment for our intention: The sample is not disturbed by external forces, which otherwise would lead to a distorted shape and to fluid flow in the melt, is contained in a clean environment, and can be processed over a large temperature range. This project is considered as preparation of a g experiment in theMSL/EML facility onboard the International Space Station ISS after the year 2007. The results of these resistivity measurements shall be used as benchmarks for ground based measurement techniques, as e.g. the fast pulse heating technique.