Innovación del proceso para mejorar las propiedades de los aceros eléctricos

摘要

Electrical steel grades are the normal construction material for electrical motors and transformers because of their enhanced soft magnetic properties. One of the current trends in their production aims for increasing the silicon and/or aluminum concentration (above 3 wt %) to reduce magnetic losses through increased electrical resistivity. This is very difficult to realize by conventional processing, mainly because of cracking during cold rolling. An alternative production route is proposed that raises the silicon and/or aluminum concentration by surface deposition of silicon and/or aluminum on a low-Si/low-Al steel substrate, e.g. by a short immersion in a molten Al-Si bath, followed by its diffusion into the bulk during subsequent annealing. This diffusion substantially modifies the microstructural features and therefore affects the mechanical and magnetic properties. Results of research efforts to optimize this production route and to understand the mechanisms and effects of the structural changes are presented and discussed.