Magnetic Properties of Cube Textured Silicon-Iron Magnetic Sheet

Abstract

Cube textured magnetic sheet containing approximately 3% silicon in iron has been developed in the General Electric Company Research Laboratory. The magnitude of the cube texture as determined by torque magnetometer tests is of the order of 90% or greater when compared to a single crystal with a (100) [001] orientation. The magnitude of the texture was confirmed by x‐ray diffraction pole figures. Static dc magnetic tests and 60 cycle ac w loss tests made on single strip samples taken both parallel to the rolling direction and at right angles to the rolling direction indicate nearly equal magnetic properties in both directions of the sheet. These properties are equivalent to the magnetic properties measured in the single good direction of the ``grain oriented'' transformer material. Finally, two transformers were made: one using laminations of the cube textured silicon iron, the other of the ``grain oriented'' material. It was found that transformer made of the cube textured material produced significantly lower energy losses at all inductions and at 17 000 gauss the losses were approximately 60% of the losses produced by the ``grain oriented'' transformer. Similarly the current required to produce 17 000 gauss in the cube textured transformer was again about half that required to excite the ``grain oriented'' transformer to the same induction.