• Application of TSMF during electroslag remelting refines and disperses eutectic carbides in M2 high-speed steel, with effect becoming more pronounced as magnetic flux density increases.
• TSMF homogenizes the temperature field and reduces local solidification time, inhibiting heterogeneous nucleation and growth of eutectic carbides.
• EBSD analysis shows that increasing TSMF leads to more diverse and discontinuous carbide orientation, contributing to refined microstructure.
• Maximum wear depth decreased by 26.2% and total wear volume by 20%, while hardness increased from HRC 49.9 to 55.4.