Influence of Electromagnetic Stirring During the Solidification on the Structure and Magnetic Properties of 2% Si Electrical Steel

The influence of strand electromagnetic stirring (S-EMS) during the solidification in continuous casting process on the structure and magnetic properties of a 2% Si non-oriented electrical steel was analyzed. Hot band samples were obtained by finishing hot rolling in a Steckel Mill, using two slabs containing equiaxed grains ratios 15% and 46%. In the laboratorial work, the hot band samples were processed without and with hot band annealing at 1000 °C, followed by cold rolling to final thickness of 0.50 mm and final annealing at temperatures from 860 °C to 1100 °C. The results showed no significant differences on the hot band regarding the final grain sizes with and without the use of S-EMS, except after hot band annealing, where the sample with the use of S-EMS showed abnormal grain growth. Additionally, the use of S-EMS improved J50, from 1.77 to 1.79 T at 1100 °C. The hysteretic loss decreased around 1.2 W/kg and the anomalous losses increased around 0.6 W/kg as the final grain sizes rise from 46 to
$250~\mu $
m for both S-EMS conditions. These results suggest that the use of S-EMS improves the final texture due to the higher volume of the fibers influencing positively the magnetic properties.