Magnetic and microstructural characteristics of high-Si electrical steels produced by hot dipping and diffusion annealing

Abstract

Electrical steels with high silicon content (up to 6.5 wt % Si) are difficult to process by conventional metallurgical routes: ordering phenomena make the material too brittle to be cold rolled. A hot dipping and diffusion annealing process appears to be an alternative production route to obtain steel with a high silicon and aluminium content avoiding rolling problems. Surface alloying with silicon (Si) and aluminium (Al) is achieved on a conventional steel substrate by hot dipping in a hypereutectic Al-Si-bath followed by a diffusion annealing treatment. The diffusion annealing allows the homogenization of the composition obtaining a homogeneous concentration of 6.5 % Si over the thickness depending on the temperature and annealing time necessary for the diffusion of the elements present in the coating. Also, these elements can be distributed in a controlled non-uniform way over the thickness of the sheet.