MAGNETIC MATERIALS AND B-H

CHARACTERISTICS
Magnetic Material :
All materials have magnetic properties of some kind being either diamagnetic, paramagnetic or ferromagnetic.

(I) Paramagnetic Materials. The materials, which are not strongly attracted by a magnet, such as aluminium,
tin, platinum, magnesium, manganese etc., are known as paramagnetic materials. Their relative permeability
is small but positive.

(II) Diamagnetic Materials. The materials which are repelled by a magnet such as zinc, mercury, lead, sulphur,
copper, silver, bismuth, wood etc., are know n as diamagnetic materials. Their permeability is slightly less than
unity. They are slightly magnetized when placed in a strong magnetic field and act in the direction opposite to
that of applied magnetic field.

(III) Ferromagnetic Materials : In ferromagnetism the individual spin magnetic moments are interacting or
coupled. Ferromagnets have strong and positive magnetic susceptibility. Unlike paramagnets, when the
applied field is removed, they retain a component of magnetization in the direction of the applied field – they
are “permanently” magnetized (they have hysteresis) and their susceptibility is not dependent upon
temperature in a way that follows the Curie Law.
Example : Iron, nickel, cobalt and some of the rare earths (gadolinium, dysprosium) exhibit
ferromagnetism.
 Properties Paramagnetic Diamagnetic Material Ferromagnetic
Materials Materials
State They can be solid, liquid They can be solid, They are solid.
or gas. liquid or gas.
Effect of Weakly attracted by a Weakly repelled by a Strongly attracted by a
Magnet magnet. magnet. magnet.
Behavior Tend to move from low Tend to move from Tend to move from low
under non- to high field region. high to low region. to high field region.
uniform field
Behavior under They do not preserve They do not preserve They preserve the
external field the magnetic the magnetic magnetic properties
properties once properties once the after the external field
the external external field is is removed.
field is removed.
removed.

Effect of With the rise of No effect. Above curie point, it

Temperature temperature, it becomes a
becomes a paramagnetic.
diamagnetic.

Permeability Little greater than Little less than unity Very high
unity

Susceptibility Little greater than unity Little less than unity Very high and positive
and positive and negative
Examples Lithium, Tantalum, Copper, Silver, Gold Iron, Nickel, Cobalt
Magnesium
 B-H Curve or -Hysteresis Loop
• Definition : The curve plotted between flux density B and magnetizing force H of a material is called magnetizing
or B-H curve.

Relation between B and H:

The flux density B produced in a material is directly proportional to the applied magnetizing force H. In other
words, the greater the magnetising force, the greater is the flux density and vice versa. i.e.

B ∝ H or B/H= Constant = μ=μ0.μr , where

μ=Absolute permeability of a medium

μ0 = Absolute permittivity of free space

μr = Relative permittivity of a medium

• Magnetic hysteresis
• The phenomenon of lagging behind of induction flux density (B) behind the
magnetizing force (H) in magnetic material is called magnetic hysteresis.
• Hysteresis loop is a four quadrant B – H graph from where the hysteresis loss, coercive
force and retentively of magnetic material are obtained.
•
 2. Due to
alignment of all
Domains along H
3 .When applied field is zero. The ferromagnetic
material retains magnetization(residual Flux). As
many domains retain alignment in direction of H

1 .Non linear curve

4.H in reverse direction reqd. to reduce
when magnetized from
the to make flux density to zero Zero

5 .Due to alignment of Domains in

opposite direction
• Coercivity specifies the hardness or softness of the material towards
magnetization. Hard Materials like steel have high value while Soft materials like
soft iron have low value of coercivity.
• Greater the area, larger coercivity, better magnetism produced and vice versa.
Given below are the representation of Soft and Hard ferromagnetic materials.
•

SOFT : these ferromagnetic materials have HARD: these ferromagnetic materials have
small area as energy loss over B-H Curve is large area as energy loss over B-H Curve is
small large. These form good magnets.