Grain-oriented electrical steel: a key application for high-efficiency electromagnetic materials

Grain Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) is a kind of steel with special magnetic properties and is widely used in core components of power equipment and transformers. Unlike ordinary steel, oriented electrical steel has excellent magnetic permeability and low energy loss, so it plays a vital role in power transmission and conversion.
Grain-oriented electrical steel is a specially processed low-carbon steel that is mainly used to manufacture magnetic components for transformers, generators, motors and other equipment. Its biggest feature is that the grains are arranged in a certain direction, usually with significant orientation in the longitudinal or transverse direction. This structure allows the steel to have extremely low hysteresis loss and high magnetic permeability in a specific direction, thus improving the Efficiency of electromagnetic equipment.
The manufacturing process of oriented electrical steel is very complex and usually includes the following steps:
The production of grain-oriented electrical steel first requires smelting, mixing high-purity iron and alloying elements to form basic molten steel. After casting, the molten steel is cooled into billets or sheets.

During the hot and cold rolling processes, the surface of oriented electrical steel gradually forms thinner steel sheets, with thicknesses usually ranging from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm. The rolling process not only controls the thickness of the steel, but also affects the orientation of the grains.
Through a specific heat treatment process, especially during the annealing process, the orientation of the grains is controlled so that the grains are aligned longitudinally or transversely. This process, often called "grain orientation treatment," can significantly improve the magnetic properties of the steel.
A thin layer of insulating coating is usually added to the surface of formed grain-oriented electrical steel to prevent short circuits and hysteresis during use. In addition, post-processing processes such as annealing are required to further optimize the magnetic properties of the steel.
The biggest feature of grain-oriented electrical steel is its high magnetic permeability, which means it can provide strong magnetic induction under lower magnetic fields. High magnetic permeability means that power equipment can transmit electrical energy more effectively and reduce energy loss when running.
Another important feature of grain-oriented electrical steel is low hysteresis loss. Hysteresis loss refers to the energy consumed by magnetic materials during the change of magnetic field. Low hysteresis loss can significantly improve the energy efficiency of power equipment.
Grain-oriented electrical steel has strong resistance to current impact, which makes it more stable in high-load, high-voltage working environments and is suitable for use in the core parts of transformers and motors.
Due to the grain orientation characteristics of grain-oriented electrical steel, it can effectively reduce electromagnetic losses and improve the operating efficiency of power equipment. Especially in transformers, the use of grain-oriented electrical steel can significantly reduce energy losses during operation.
One of the most important application areas of grain-oriented electrical steel is power transformers. In transformers, oriented electrical steel is used to manufacture the core part, which can significantly reduce energy loss and improve the efficiency and stability of the transformer. Since transformers are often required to operate at high loads for long periods of time, the use of grain-oriented electrical steel can significantly improve the long-term performance of the equipment.
Grain-oriented electrical steel is also widely used in generators and electric motors. It can reduce energy loss during power generation and motor operation, and improve the efficiency and operating life of equipment.
In high-frequency transformers and power supply equipment, the low-loss properties of grain-oriented electrical steel are particularly important. It can effectively reduce losses during high-frequency operation and ensure efficient operation of equipment.
The application of oriented electrical steel in power equipment and electrical transmission can improve the efficiency of the entire power system, reduce energy loss during power transmission, and reduce operating costs.
As the global focus on energy efficiency and sustainability continues to grow, demand for grain-oriented electrical steel is growing steadily. In the future, the research and development of grain-oriented electrical steel will further focus on the following aspects:
With the advancement of science and technology, manufacturers will be committed to improving the magnetic properties of oriented electrical steel, especially increasing its magnetic permeability and reducing hysteresis loss, to meet the higher requirements for material performance of high-efficiency power equipment.
The research and development of environmentally friendly oriented electrical steel materials will become an important direction in the future. As environmental protection regulations continue to strengthen, manufacturers will be committed to developing non-polluting, recyclable oriented electrical steel materials.
Grain-oriented electrical steel may also find more applications in smart grids, electric vehicles and other fields in the future. With the development of smart technology, customized and high-performance electrical steel materials will become increasingly popular in the market.