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Originally Posted by Ann Feuerbach
It would not matter if magnetite was part of the smelt or crucible steel refining process. During the actual production of the crucible steel, since it is liquid and an homogenous steel, the iron particles in the ingot would have a definite alignment to magnetic north (back to Archaeomagnetism). If anyone is really interested in that I could probably give some references as I was teaching it a few weeks ago.
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I'm sorry, may be I'm not getting something but:
I understand that magnetite will not make a difference, but taking in mind that iron melts at 1800K, and its Curie temperature is 1000K how it can have (in a liquid state) _any_ definite magnetization. If at 1000K the exchange can not hold these guys together, thermal energy should completely negate any infinitesmal influence that the Earth's magnetic field can possibly have on a liquid metall. Most of steels have Curie temperatures even lower than this, up to 300K and below for some non-corrosive nickel and other steels.
What do you mean by "iron particles" in the _liquid_ ? Domains ? Individual spins ? Non-uniformities of a liquid state ?