Magnetizing Magnets Through Steel: Answers to Your Questions

[barendfaber]

Hi,

I once read (but simply now cannot find the site again!), that if you magnetize a magnet through steel, you can make it thousands of times stronger. Is this when you create the magnet, or does this mean when you build a magnetic generator, you need to attach the magnets to steel to achieve this? Or can you add magnets to the generator and use other materials than steel?

 

[Gordianus]

To magnetize an object you need a coil and a current flowing through it in order to generate a magnetizing field. Maximum result is obtained when the coil is wound on a core of steel (or other ferromagnetic substance). The core has a small air gap where you put to object to be magnetized. I think your OP addressed this question

 

[barendfaber]

Thanks for the reply. I am all over the show but really keen to learn more about this. So just to confirm, I do not need to attach the magnets to steel in my magnetic generator, this just refers to when a magnet is created?

 

[121910marj]

@Gordianus, what you are saying is electromagnetic induction, right?
@barendfaber, you can make a temporary magnet thru this, when a metal is polarized, it can attract other materials of the opposite polarity. Get an electric wire, wound it to an ordinary nail while both ends of the wire are connected to a battery. placed small metal clips below the wounded nail and see how are this clips being attracted. These are temporary magnets. Temporary because when you remove the current, it becomes ordinary nail again. Permanent magnets don't easily lose their polarities.
Correct me if I am wrong. :)

 

[barendfaber]

I think the question's a bit muddled up. When I read up about the details in the first post, I think I don't completely understand what they meant. So the question would be when I build a magnetic generator, does the magnets need to be attached to steel, and will this create a stronger magnetic field? Or can I just attach my magnets to any material inside the generator, as long as they are securely fastened?

 

[121910marj]

@barendfaber, may i know how does your generator look like by just describing it to me? :)
thanks.

 

[barendfaber]

I have an example design, although mine will look different. It is in this thread:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=524799

 

[jimkirk123]

magnet attract steel

 

[barendfaber]

hi all. Just had a response from one of my other posts, just for your info check this out http://www.windenergy.nl/website/files/artikelen/AXIAL_FLUX_HowItWorks.pdf , page 4. Now I know the only purpose of the steel is to concentrate the magnetic flux between two opposite magnet poles, and capturing the flux in iron plates that would otherwise be wasted, we direct as much energy as we can through the gap between the faces.

When the plate is in contact with the magnet, the field lines can become very concentrated in the plate. They concentrate themselves in the plate, and if the plate is thick enough, very few lines emerge out the other side. Through the neodymium magnet itself, the magnetic strength doesn’t change much.

Thanks for the help!