This innovation cuts out the downsides of an otherwise proven material: steel. Steel, an iron and carbon alloy, is a crucial mass-produced product, and yet impurities or air inclusions in the production stage often affect its consistency. So scientists are investigating whether steel production can be optimised to improve its quality.

With the help of magnetic fields, flows in conductive liquids - including in liquid metal – can be targeted and influenced. External intervention in these complex technological processes requires precise knowledge of the magnetic field effect on flow and transport processes. Model experiments at low temperatures are therefore being conducted, in which the flow processes in cast steel are being mapped out and studied in realistic conditions. The findings will then be able to be applied to steel production.

Versatile material: from the kilometre-long bridge spanning a bay to the heavy-duty power station turbine to the modern skyscraper, better quality steel will open up new potential uses and improve safety at the same time.