Electrical Steel Sheet Coatings Balancing Adhesion and Scratch Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical steel sheets face a trade-off between adhesiveness and resistance to slitting and scratch prevention, with adhesiveness being compromised when hardness is increased, and vice versa.

Innovation Solution

The electrical steel sheet features distinct hardness levels on its front and back surfaces, with the back surface having a higher hardness for resistance to slitting and scratch prevention, and the front surface being softer for enhanced adhesiveness, achieved through specific epoxy resin compositions and curing agent ratios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If insulating coatings are applied to electromagnetic steel sheets to reduce eddy current losses, then energy efficiency is improved, but coating defects occur leading to reduced reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeddy current lossesVSAvoidcoating integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite coating structure consisting of a silicon oxide layer and a phosphorus oxide layer. The silicon oxide layer provides base insulation while the phosphorus oxide layer fills defects and provides additional protection, creating a composite material system that overcomes the limitations of single-layer coatings and eliminates coating defects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the phosphorus content within specific ranges (0.03-0.15% in the steel sheet, 0.05-0.5% in the coating layer) to optimize coating quality. By adjusting chemical composition parameters and heating conditions, the coating structure is optimized to prevent defects while maintaining insulation performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If phosphorus content is increased to improve coating quality and reduce defects, then coating reliability is improved, but saturation magnetic flux density decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating qualityVSAvoidsaturation magnetic flux density
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes phosphorus content within a specific range (0.03-0.15% in the steel sheet) to achieve the best balance between coating quality and magnetic properties. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient phosphorus for defect-free coating formation while preventing excessive phosphorus that would harm magnetic flux density.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent concentrates phosphorus primarily in the insulating coating layer rather than uniformly distributing it throughout the steel sheet. This localized quality approach allows the coating to benefit from high phosphorus content for defect prevention, while the bulk steel maintains its magnetic properties by having lower overall phosphorus content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If multiple coating layers are applied to eliminate coating defects, then coating reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating integrityVSAvoidcoating process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite coating structure through a single heating process where silicon oxide and phosphorus oxide layers form together. This composite approach achieves the benefits of multiple layers (defect elimination, improved insulation) without the complexity of applying multiple separate coatings, as the layers form simultaneously during one heat treatment step.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds phosphorus to the steel sheet before the insulating coating formation process. This preliminary action ensures that phosphorus is available during the heating and coating formation stage, allowing the phosphorus oxide layer to form automatically and fill defects during the same process that creates the silicon oxide layer, eliminating the need for subsequent separate coating steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration ensures both high adhesiveness and resistance to slitting and scratch prevention, enabling robust laminated cores with improved adhesive strength and reduced damage during manufacturing.

Implementation Method 1

it has been proposed to improve the energy efficiency of electrical appliances by using an electromagnetic steel sheet having an insulating coating formed on a surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic wave reflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

a content of phosphorus in the insulating coating layer is 0.05% to 0.5% by mass, based on a total mass of the insulating coating layer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxidation: Oxidation

Data Source

PatentEP4169987B1Electrical steel sheet, laminated core, and laminated core production method
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
  • EP4169987B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4169987B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4169987B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This electrical steel sheet includes a base steel sheet, a first insulation coating formed on a first surface of the base steel sheet and having adhesiveness, and a second insulation coating formed on a second surface of the base steel sheet which is a back surface to the first surface and having adhesiveness, in which an average pencil hardness of the first insulation coating is HB or higher and 3H or lower, and an average pencil hardness of the second insulation coating is higher than the average pencil hardness of the first insulation coating.