Electrical steel is one of the most critical materials in today’s market. The global electrical steel market is on track to grow from roughly $36B in 2024 to over $51B by 2030. For engineers, procurement managers, and technical buyers working with electromagnetic components and power systems, a thorough understanding of electrical steel is essential.
Read on to learn about electrical steel materials, including the key differences between grain-oriented and non-grain-oriented electrical steel and the role of electrical steel in the current market.
What is Electrical Steel?
Electrical steel, also known as silicon steel or transformer steel, is a specialized iron-silicon alloy. While carbon steels are designed for strength and stability, electrical steel is designed for electromagnetic performance. They typically contain between 1% and 6.5% silicon to minimize core loss and maximize magnetic permeability.
Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES)
Grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) is made with a 3% silicon-iron composition and designed so its crystal grain structure aligns in a single direction. These electrical steels perform best when magnetized along the rolling direction, resulting in high magnetic permeability and low core loss in that direction.
Key technical properties of grain-oriented electrical steel include:
- Carefully controlled grain structure: Grain-oriented electrical steel undergoes an extremely precise manufacturing process to align its internal crystals and improve its performance.
- Precise lamination: GOES is manufactured in thin sheets that are stacked to form transformer cores. They’re precisely cut to maintain alignment with the grain direction and minimize energy loss.
- Low core loss in the rolling direction: When magnetic energy moves through GOES in the rolling direction, very little energy is wasted as heat. This results in greater efficiency and less energy cost over time.
- Reduced hysteresis losses: The grain structure of GOES allows magnetic domains to align and realign more easily when the magnetic field cycles.
- Low eddy current losses: The silicon content and use of thin, insulated laminations limits circulating currents that typically generate heat.
- High efficiency in static magnetic applications: Grain-oriented electrical steel works best when the magnetic field moves in a predictable direction. In these cases, the material can be aligned with the direction of the magnetic flow and work extremely efficiently.
Grain-oriented electrical steel is a metal for power generation that performs best with unidirectional magnetic flux, so it is primarily used in stationary equipment with a consistent magnetic field direction. Typical GOES applications include:
- Power transformers
- Distribution transformers
- Large industrial transformers
- Reactor cores
- Grid infrastructure equipment
Non-Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (NGOES)
Non-grain-oriented electrical steel (NGOES) typically contains 2% to 3.5% silicon and has isotropic magnetic properties, meaning its magnetic performance is uniform in all directions. Because of this, NGOES is ideal for rotating electromagnetic equipment where the magnetic flux direction is constantly changing.
Key technical properties of non-grain-oriented electrical steel include:
- Thin lamination: NGOES is used in thin, laminated sheets that are insulated to prevent electrical currents from flowing between layers.
- Uniform magnetic performance in all directions: NGOES have uniform magnetic performance in all directions, but it comes at a trade off. NGOES rarely meets the performance level of GOES in its preferred direction.
- Low core loss in all directions: Because NGOES are designed to perform in all directions, they keep core losses low in all directions, rather than just in a single direction like GOES.
- Reduced hysteresis losses: Non-grain-oriented electrical steels reduce hysteresis losses by controlling the steel’s microstructure so magnetic domains can shift more easily as fields change direction.
- Lower eddy current losses: By adding silicon and producing NGOES in thin sheets, the size of circulating currents that create heat are limited, which lowers eddy current losses.
NGOES performs best with rotating machines that are constantly changing magnetic direction. It maintains efficiency under dynamic operating conditions. Typical non-grain-oriented electrical steel applications include:
- Electric vehicle motors
- Industrial motors
- Generators
- Pumps and compressors
- Household appliance motors
Current Market Demand for Electrical Steel
Demand for electrical steel in today’s market is growing rapidly due to two major global trends: EV motor manufacturing and grid modernization. EV motors in particular require high-performance NGOES, while grid upgrades increase demand for GOES transformer materials.
Partner with a Trusted Electrical Steel Supplier
Selecting an experienced, national electrical steel supplier reduces supply chain risk while ensuring quality. Fry Steel supports manufacturers with deep bar stock inventory, precision processing capabilities, and stringent QM systems. We’re certified in ISO 9001, AS9120, and AS9100D and provide full material traceability for every shipment.
With decades of experience in precision metals for aerospace, medical, defense, and industrial manufacturers, we understand the performance requirements that manufacturers face when sourcing specialty metals. Contact us today to find a Fry Steel rep in your area.
