On the anhysteretic magnetization of soft magnetic materials

Electrical steels are still the materials of choice for large-scale transformers and most electric motors. Yet, they may present a nonhomogeneous magnetic nature which prevents describing accurately their anhysteretic magnetization with the Langevin-Weiss model. Although interpolation and extrapolation methods may be used to model any anhysteretic curve, a simple and physically-based model would be of great value for fundamental and applied research. Inspired in the law of partial volumes for gas mixtures, we proposed a law of partial magnetizations for magnetic mixtures. In a two-component system, the model leads to the double Langevin-Weiss function. We also introduced a graphical method and a fitting approach to analyze and model anhysteretic magnetization curves. A semi-log magnetization derivative plot is central to this end. We validated our strategy through well-motivated examples using published data on soft magnets. The single Langevin-Weiss function provided an accurate description of the magnetization of isotropic and anisotropic magnetically homogeneous materials: a soft ferrite and a nanocrystalline alloy, respectively. For modelling a magnetization transverse to the material's preferred direction, the key is to allow a negative molecular field constant. The double Langevin-Weiss function was suitable for less homogeneous materials, such as a grain-oriented electrical steel magnetized along the rolling direction and a non-oriented electrical steel. Moreover, a highly-grain-oriented electrical steel magnetized transverse to the rolling direction, which exhibits a constricted hysteresis loop, could be modeled in excellent agreement with data. The key for the latter, has been to allow an antiparallel arrangement of the mean magnetization of both components. (C) 2022 Author(s).

Automated summary

Electrical steels are commonly used in large-scale transformers and electric motors. However, accurately describing their anhysteretic magnetization is challenging. In this study, researchers proposed a law of partial magnetizations for magnetic mixtures and introduced a graphical method and fitting approach for analyzing and modeling anhysteretic magnetization curves. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method in accurately describing the magnetization curves of different materials.