Recent Advances in Additive Manufacturing of Soft Magnetic Materials: A Review

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an attractive set of processes that are being employed lately to process specific materials used in the fabrication of electrical machine components. This is because AM allows for the preservation or enhancement of their magnetic properties, which may be degraded or limited when manufactured using other traditional processes. Soft magnetic materials (SMMs), such as Fe–Si, Fe–Ni, Fe–Co, and soft magnetic composites (SMCs), are suitable materials for electrical machine additive manufacturing components due to their magnetic, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. In addition to these, it has been observed in the literature that other alloys, such as soft ferrites, are difficult to process due to their low magnetization and brittleness. However, thanks to additive manufacturing, it is possible to leverage their high electrical resistivity to make them alternative candidates for applications in electrical machine components. It is important to highlight the significant progress in the field of materials science, which has enabled the development of novel materials such as high-entropy alloys (HEAs). These alloys, due to their complex chemical composition, can exhibit soft magnetic properties. The aim of the present work is to provide a critical review of the state-of-the-art SMMs manufactured through different AM technologies. This review covers the influence of these technologies on microstructural changes, mechanical strengths, post-processing, and magnetic parameters such as saturation magnetization (MS), coercivity (HC), remanence (Br), relative permeability (Mr), electrical resistivity (r), and thermal conductivity (k).

Influence of the Cooling Rate on Austenite Ordering and Martensite Transformation in a Non-Stoichiometric Alloy Based on Ni-Mn-In

“…A detailed study of the fine structure makes it possible to determine the necessary structural elements responsible for the manifestation of unique effects (MF, SME, MCE, etc.). As mentioned above [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17], the properties of Ni-Mn-In (Ga) systems and other three, four, or more component systems are extremely dependent on the elemental composition. However, the reproducibility of the elemental composition is an extremely complex and basic task and one of the most important problems, even taking into account the large errors (0.1-1%) of the most common methods for its determination (EDX and WDX), which makes it difficult to use these alloys as structural and functional.…”

“…In-depth investigations into the intricate structure of non-stoichiometric alloys and decomposition processes are seldom documented, with only a handful of mentions in a recent review [9], including a contribution from this paper's authors. The focus has primarily been on the crystal structure of stoichiometric alloys [10].…”

“…As such, a systematic exploration of microstructure evolution during the cooling process is warranted. Numerous studies have examined the property dependence of Heusler alloys on composition [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18], but this perspective is incomplete. Our research reveals how material properties are influenced by structural characteristics for identical compositions.…”

Impact of High-Frequency Traveling-Wave Magnetic Fields on Low-Conductivity Liquids: Investigation and Potential Applications in the Chemical Industry

“…Soft magnetic materials have gained significant attention due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields. Their excellent magnetic characteristics, including high permeability and low coercivity, make them suitable for transformers, inductors, and magnetic storage devices [57][58][59][60]. The integration of soft magnetic materials into composites and their use in magnetic fluid hyperthermia have opened up new opportunities for research and development.…”

Effect of Hatch Spacing on the Quality of Inconel 718 Alloy Part

“…In recent years, selective laser melting (SLM), which is known as additive manufacturing (AM), has attracted increasing attention due to its high free-forming ability in the formation process [1]. Firstly, metal powder is put into the supplier tank.…”