electro magnet

[arivel]

Hi everyone .
I would like to understand if it is possible to create an electromagnet in an iron-silicon alloy (FeSi).
I don't have the equipment to do it myself so I thought of two different ways to proceed but I'm not an expert in these things and therefore I can't know if they are two viable ways to achieve the goal. You can answer this if you feel like doing so.
Of this alloy on the market you can only find thin sheets used to make transformer sheets. I could contact a transformer manufacturer and buy some scrap sheet metal.
the second alternative would be to buy pure iron powder and silicon powder.
both methods require the help of a small artisan foundry (there are many in my area) to pour the molten metal into a mold.
in the first case it is just a matter of melting scrap metal sheets and there are no problems but in the second case it would be a matter of melting a mixture composed of iron powder and silicon powder, is it possible to do this? and what result do I get?.
it's also a matter of understanding what costs I will incur, furthermore the piece of metal that comes out of the mold must be finished on the lathe and I am not aware of a tool that would be suitable, perhaps an abrasive tool?.
Thank you.

 

[MagBen]

Remelting scrap sheet metal apparently no issue

melting iron and silicon powder could have issue. using VIM for example the powder could have magnetic coupling issue. Limiting the addition of powder amount within 50% could solve the problem. but why you need powder, why not buy some Fe and Si bulk/chunk/granular for melting/casting?

Transformer sheet to build up a lamination is to decrease eddy current losses, presumably you are making a bulk electromagnet for a DC application? and then other magnetic materials may work better for you magnetically. What is the Si content? >4%Si makes the material brittle, >6.5%Si gains nothing in terms of magnetic softness (coercivity, core losses etc) but rather Si further dilutes the magnetization and ruins the machinability.

 

[arivel]

Hello and thanks for the reply .
the motivation is always the same.
I've also talked about it in other posts on this forum.
This is an audio speaker field coil that runs on DC.
Unfortunately, pure iron and cobalt steel are not only difficult to find but also very expensive.
so I thought of falling back on silicon iron. I have no idea what percentage of silicon is optimal for me.
I thought of iron and silicon powder because it is easily found on the market. It is not essential for me that it be in this format.
the problem is being able to find iron that is not an alloy, as I said before I don't expect to obtain pure iron because it is expensive but not even an alloy with a high percentage of other metallic elements which in my case are harmful to the magnetic field.

 

[EdStainless]

Is your coil round or rectangular?
If either then you could buy SiFe lamination strip and build it up or wind it.
You would want non-grain oriented.
As I recall this is usually about 2-2.5% Si.
Though for large DC magnets we used plain ultra-low C steel, usually 1002.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[arivel]

It's round but I don't want to use folded sheets.
even solid rounds and 1002 steel tubes are not easy to find.

 

[EdStainless]

Tubes? Why tubes?
You post an illustration of what you have in mind.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[MagBen]

so sounds like you wanted some dirty and cheap soft magnetic material. try any low carbon steels 1002, 1005, 1008, 1010 ...whatever you can find. keep in mind, carbon very much affects permeability, the less the better. also do a stress relief anneal if material experienced significant deformation, stress can pin magnetic domain movement effectively too.

 

[arivel]

it's very simple .
a cylinder inside a tube because the magnetic field must also be channeled in the return path