SUSTAINABLE AND STRATEGIC SOFT-MAGNETIC Fe-Si-Al ALLOYS PRODUCED BY SECONDARY METALLURGY

Abstract

In Slovenia, Fe-Si-Al alloys for non-oriented, silicon-steel sheets are designed and manufactured in a sustainable manner. Ferrous scrap is recycled, and, therefore, CO2 emissions are greatly reduced. However, sustainable technologies based on secondary metallurgy have many limitations. Impurities that cannot be effectively removed from the steel melt increase the complexity of the material’s behavior during processing and use. One of the most contaminating elements is copper (Cu). In this review, the focus is on phenomena related to the Cu impurity during the specific steps of the metallurgical processing of selected Fe-Si-Al alloys. The identified challenges concerning the efficiency of some technological phases related to the presence of Cu in Fe-Si-Al, non-oriented electrical steels might motivate further (inter)disciplinary research, basic or applied. In order to follow the set goals of the EU and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, silicon electrical steels produced with sustainable circular-economy approaches must be recognized as a strategic material for the EU.