Magnetoplastic effect in metal alloys

In given report the review on magnetoplastic effect (MPE), arising in Cu-, Al-, Mg- and Ti-based alloys, after the ageing in the constant or pulsed magnetic fields, received last years is presented.

Brief data about 1) content, regimes of training and artificial ageing of the investigated alloys in magnetic fields, 2) the experimental methods applied measurement of microhardness, phase structure, parameters of the residual matrix lattice, thin structure and density of alloys and 3) the basic results of the executed researches are resulted.

The analysis of results has shown that the value and MPE sign are determined by content of an alloy, temperature and time of ageing, type of a magnetic field and time of its influence. Time dependences of thin structure parameters of alloys qualitatively correlate with time dependences of microhardness. Inclusion of a magnetic field during ageing changes value of thin structure parameters of alloys. Moreover, the alloys structure at imposing a magnetic field and negative МPE sign becomes more homogeneous and more fine granulated. In some cases ageing of alloys in magnetic fields leads to reduction of the average sizes of coherent dispersion blocks up to nanoscales. It is noted, that initial stages of phase formation process in magnetic fields are very important, and elementary nuclear and spin processes in them should play an appreciable role.

Possible physical mechanisms MPE in the investigated alloys are discussed.