Magnetic Behavior of NO Fe-Si Sheets Under Tensile and Compressive Stresses

The stress dependence of the magnetic properties of non-oriented (NO) Fe-Si steel sheets has been investigated by measurement and analysis of hysteresis loop, magnetization curve, and energy losses taken at different peak polarization values <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${J} _{p}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (0.5–1.5 T) between dc and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${f} =400$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz. The salient feature of the material response to the stress lies in the monotonic deterioration of the soft magnetic properties, across the whole (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${J} _{p} - {f}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) domain, on passing from the maximum tensile stress (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sigma =+30$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MPa) to the maximum compression (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sigma =-30$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MPa). This is understood in terms of stress-induced redistribution of the domains between easy axes, making magnetic hardening by compression directly related to unfavorably directed domains and 90° domain-wall-mediated magnetization transitions. The loss decomposition is carried out across the whole investigated frequency range, taking into account the skin effect at the highest frequencies. Quasi-static and dynamic losses follow similar behaviors, both monotonically increasing on passing from the tensile to the compressive stress limits, according to the theoretically expected relationship existing between the hysteresis and the excess loss components.