Fabrication of Magnetically Graded Material by Rolling Deformation of Wedge-shaped 304 Stainless Steel

This paper reports a technique that fabricates a magnetically graded material in which the saturation magnetization varies linearly as a function of distance. An initially wedge-shaped 304 stainless steel was rolled into a rectangular cross section. The saturation magnetization curve as a function of rolling ratio has a positive curvature. Since the rolling ratio distribution showed a negative curvature, it was possible to achieve a nearly linear magnetic gradient along the specimen. Furthermore, it was found that the hardness also varied gradually in the deformed specimen, suggesting that the technique presented in this work can fabricate a functionally graded material not only in magnetic properties but also in mechanical properties.