Overview
Soft magnetic steel forms an essential component in all motors and alternators used in the automotive industry. Currently for high efficient motors Si steel (typical Si content ~2%) is being used. The ever increasing demand to phase out fossil fuel automotives and move to electric driven vehicles requires high performance motors. Hence there is a focus on alternate soft magnetic material which is cost effective and with better magnetic properties compared to Si steel. In this background we propose Fe-P as a potential alternate which is cost effective and with magnetic properties equivalent/better than Si steel. Fe-P based alloy prepared by wrought metallurgy process of induction melting, forging, hot rolling and subjected to a suitable two step heat treatment process yield soft magnetic materials with properties equivalent or better than Si steel. The formation of fine nano-precipitates of Fe3P enhances the resistivity of the alloy lowering the core loss at high frequency. Currently we have developed alloys with coercivity less than 1 Oe and a core loss of 187 W/kg at 1 kHz measured at Bmax 1 T
Key Features
- Industrially viable wrought metallurgy process
- Alloy produced from low cost raw materials (cost effectiveness)
- Better mechanical properties advantages of machinability
- Good magnetic properties equivalent/better than commercial materials
Potential Applications
- Used in alternators of automobiles
- Used in manufacture of various motors used in automobiles
- Explored for applications involving magnetic switching in valves and switch gears.
Status
- Magnetic properties measured and benchmarked with standard commercial materials
- Prototypes produced and being benchmarked with commercially used machines
Intellectual Property Development Index (IPDI)
Level
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10
Description
Basic concepts and understanding of underlying scientific principles
Shortlisting possible applications
Research to prove technical feasibility for targeted application
Coupon level testing in simulated conditions
Check repeatability/consistency
Prototype testing in real-life conditions
Check repeatability/consistency
Reassessing feasibility (IP, competition technology, commercial)
Initiate technology transfer
Support in stabilizing production
Status
| Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Basic concepts and understanding of underlying scientific principles | Shortlisting possible applications | Research to prove technical feasibility for targeted application | Coupon level testing in simulated conditions | Check repeatability/consistency | Prototype testing in real-life conditions | Check repeatability/consistency | Reassessing feasibility (IP, competition technology, commercial) | Initiate technology transfer | Support in stabilizing production |
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- Effect of Si addition on AC and DC magnetic properties of (Fe-P)-Si alloy, AIP Advances 6, 055921 (2016)
- AC magnetic properties and core loss behaviour of FeP soft magnetic sheets, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 50 (2014) 2008604
- High saturation magnetization in Fe-0.4 wt.% P alloy processed by a two-step heat treatment Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 345 (2013) 239.
- Effect of recovery and recrystallization on microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe-0.4 P rolled sheets, Materialia 13 (2020) 100863
- Influence of nanoprecipitates, solid solution and grain size on the magnetic and electrical properties of Fe-P-Si alloys, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 493 (2020) 165743