Magnetomechanical effects in iron and iron-carbon alloys

Abstract

The variation of magnetization produced by the simultaneous application of magnetic fields and stresses (both compressive and tensile) has been studied for a range of iron-carbon alloys that have been subjected to various metallurgical treatments. For annealed, low carbon content materials in a small magnetic field, the magnetization-stress curves are unsymmetrical with respect to tension and compression. In the applied fields and stresses used, the asymmetry becomes less pronounced both for increase in residual internal stress and for increase in carbon content until, for cold-worked, high carbon content materials, curves are obtained that are sensibly symmetrical.