Magnetic hysteresis is a big, fancy word for a simple idea. It’s something you can see in action if you play with magnets. Hysteresis is a phenomenon where you see a time delay between when you do something to a magnet and when the magnet reacts.

The concept of hysteresis is a big deal in the world of magnetic materials. It’s important in everything from electronics to renewable energy. Let’s dive into the concept of hysteresis, what it means, and how it applies to the real world.

What Does Magnetic Hysteresis Mean?

Magnetic hysteresis refers to the way a magnet reacts to what you do to it. You can see hysteresis if you play with magnets. It’s a big deal in the world of magnetic materials. It’s important in everything from electronics to renewable energy. Let’s talk about what it means and how it affects you.

When you put a magnetic field on a material like iron, it becomes magnetized. But when you take the magnetic field away, the material stays magnetized. If you want to get rid of the magnetism, you have to put a magnetic field on the material in the opposite direction. The amount of magnetism that sticks around and how hard you have to hit the material with the opposite magnetic field to get rid of it are called the coercivity and remanence of the material.

Magnetic hysteresis is important because it is critical to understanding and designing magnetic devices. Here are a few reasons why it’s important:

  • Energy Losses: Hysteresis is associated with energy losses called hysteresis losses. These are important when you’re trying to make transformers, motors, and other electromagnetic devices as efficient as possible. You especially care about hysteresis losses in things like electric vehicle motors and wind power generators.
  • Data Storage: The hysteresis properties of materials determine whether they’re good for storing data. Materials with high coercivity are used in things like hard disks and other permanent storage devices to make sure that the data doesn’t get erased by a random magnetic field.
  • Magnetic Sensors: The hysteresis properties of materials are important when you’re designing magnetic sensors. These sensors are used in all sorts of things from cars to MRI machines.

 

The applications of hysteresis are huge. Here are a few examples:

  • Electronics: In the electronics industry, we use hysteresis to make things like inductors and transformers work better and be more efficient.
  • Renewable Energy: In renewable energy, we use hysteresis to make things like wind turbine generators and solar inverters work better.
  • Automotive: We use hysteresis in things like advanced braking systems and electric power steering systems, which use magnetic materials.

Conclusion

Hysteresis is more than just a thing that happens. It’s a critical concept in the design and use of magnetic materials in all sorts of industries. By understanding and using hysteresis, we’re able to make better, more efficient magnetic devices. That leads to better technology and more energy-efficient devices.

If you want to know more about magnetic materials and their uses, be sure to check out our blog and look at all the cool things we make to help you solve your magnetic challenges.

magnetic hysteresis curve