Thermophysical property measurements of high temperature melts using an electrostatic levitation method

Thermophysical properties of high temperature melts are important to better understand material processes such as casting, welding, and crystal growth. Containerless processing techniques combined with non-contact diagnostic methods play significant roles in thermophysical property measurements of high temperature melts because these methods can circumvent problems which arise from a reaction between container and melts. The electrostatic levitation method can measure density, surface tension, and viscosity of high temperature materials. Most of refractory metals including tungsten have been melted and their thermophysical data have been taken with this method. This paper briefly explains the technique and discusses the future measurements using microgravity environment in space.