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Silicon steel is a Soft Magnetic material, a Steel containing Silicon , usually with virtually no other alloying elements. The carbon content is generally very low (eg. 0.005% or lower), the silicon content ranges between 0.5-3.5%; higher content of silicon than about 3.25%, while yielding better magnetic properties, impairs the steel's mechanical properties, causing difficulties for rolling. Up to 0.5% Aluminium can be added too. Addition of silicon increases the alloy's Electrical Resistance , which inhibits the Eddy Current s and narrows the Hysteresis Loop of the material, thus lowers the core losses. The magnetic properties are dependent on Heat Treatment . Half-processed electrical steels are delivered without heat treatment. The fully processed steels are usually delivered with insulating coating, full heat treatment, and defined magnetic properties, ready for application. Silicon steel is usually manufactured as sheet metal by Rolling . Silicon steel is usually used to stamp shapes that are then assembled to Laminated Core s of Transformer s, or to stator and rotor parts of Electric Motor s. Silicon steel can be manufactured either as grain oriented (GO), or grain non-oriented (GNO). Grain oriented steel has Anisotropic properties, with Crystallite s oriented in the direction of the easiest magnetization, parallel to the direction of rolling of the material. This yields favorable magnetic properties in one direction, and is useful for stationary applications where the magnetic flux has a static, nonchanging direction, eg. in transformer cores. GNO steel is better for applications where the direction of magnetic flux is changing, eg. Electric Motor s, Dynamo s and Alternator s. The composition of oriented steels is more restricted than of the nonoriented steels. Silicon steel is sometimes called transformer steel or '''electrical steel'''. |
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