Characteristics Comparison and Selection Guide for Selected Magnetic Materials used in Electrical Machines

This article presents an up-to-date magnetic material investigation and overview on magnetic materials used in rotating electrical machines. The focus is on small to mediumsized high-performance and high-efficiency permanent-magnet and induction motors for different application scenarios. The investigated materials include fully processed silicon-iron, nickeliron, and cobalt-iron lamination steels, as well as soft magnetic composites and amorphous magnetic materials. The technical focus of the article is on the magnetic properties and iron losses as well as the manufacturing influence and required thermal treatments during the manufacturing process. A new loss to flux density factor is introduced to compare the characteristic B H magnetization curve and the iron losses of different materials within the same diagram. The aim of the article is to give the machine designer an efficient material overview and selection guide during the early machine design process.