Optimization of magnetic flux density in electrical steels: Slater-Pauling pattern repetition in multicomponent alloys

Abstract

By investigating the magnetization variation of Fe-rich multicomponent alloys with solute concentration, the magnetic flux density of Si electrical steel is optimized with average valency. For binary alloys of Fe-X [X = d-5d transition-metal (TM) and 3sp-6sp elements], the usual mountain-shape behavior of the Slater-Pauling curve is produced even for late 4d-5d TM, and the monotonically decreasing behavior for 3sp-5sp elements. Anomalously, a rise-and-fall pattern is found for the 6sp element of X = Bi. For ternary alloys of Fe-Si-X (X = 3d-5d TM and 3sp-6sp elements), the role of Si is shown to shift the starting point of moment variation and the magnetic flux density of Fe-Si-X alloys is found to repeat the Si-absent binary pattern at the shifted reference moment. On the basis of the calculated magnetic moments, Fe-Si-X-Y (X = Co, Pd, Pt and Y = Al, Sb, Bi) is proposed as a viable candidate for the optimum products of electrical steels.