Experiments for B. Tech.

1st Year Physics Laboratory

Experiment No. 5

B – H curve

Aim :

To study B-H curve and to find out the values of coercivity, retentivity and saturation magnetisation of
experimental material. (commercial Nickel).

Apparatus Used :

Set up for B-H curve, experimental material (commercial Nickel), CRO, connecting leads.

Theory
Introduction
A precise knowledge of various magnetic parameters of ferromagnetic substances and the ability to
determine them accurately are important aspects of magnetic studies. These not only have academic
significance but are also indispensible for both the manufacturers and users of magnetic materials.
The characteristics which are usually used to define the quality of the substance are coercivity, retentivity,
saturation magnetisation and hysteresis loss. Furthermore, the understanding of the behaviour of these
substances and improvement in their quality demand that the number of magnetic phases present in a
system is also known.
A B-H curve plots changes in a magnetic circuit's flux density as the magnetic field strength is gradually
increased. The resulting shape indicates how the flux density increases due to the gradual alignment of the
magnetic domains (atoms, that behave like tiny magnets) within the magnetic circuit material. When all
the domains have aligned, the B-H curve reaches a plateau and the magnetic circuit is said to be
saturated. At this point, any further increase in magnetic field strength has no further effect on the flux
density. Different magnetic materials, such as iron, steel, etc., have B-H curves with different slopes and
points at which saturation occurs.

After reaching saturation, a reduction in the magnetic field strength results in a reduction in the flux

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density. However, the resulting curve does not quite match the original curve, but 'lags behind' it. This
effect is called hysteresis, which is from the Greek, meaning to 'lag behind'.
When the magnetic field strength reaches zero, the resulting curve indicates that the flux density has not,
itself, reached zero. The value of flux density remaining is termed the remanence (or residual
magnetism or retentivity) of the magnetic material. 'Soft' magnetic materials, used in the manufacture of
transformer cores, etc., will have a very small remanence; whereas 'hard' magnetic materials, used in the
manufacture of permanent magnets, will have a very high remanence. In order to remove any remanence,
the magnetic field strength requires to be reversed (by reversing the direction of the current in the coil)
and increased in the opposite direction. The amount of 'negative' magnetic field strength necessary to
completely remove the remanence is called coercivity.

If we continue to increase the negative magnetic field strength, the magnetic material will again reach
saturation in the opposite direction, and the new curve will be a mirror image of the original curve. The
complete B-H curve is then usually described as a hysteresis loop. The area contained within a hysteresis
loop indicates the energy required to perform the 'magnetise-demagnetise'_process.
'Soft' magnetic materials require relatively little energy to become magnetised and demagnetised and, so
have 'narrow' hysteresis loops , whereas 'hard' magnetic materials require a great deal of energy
and have 'wide' hysteresis loops.

So, B-H Curves and Hysteresis Loops are a valuable tools for comparing the characteristics and
behaviour of different magnetic materials, in order to select them for an appropriate applications..

Design Principle

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When a cylindrical sample is placed coaxially in a periodically varying magnetic field (say by the
solenoid) the magnetisation in the sample also undergoes a periodic variation. This variation can be
picked up by a pickup coil which is placed coaxially with the sample. Normally, the pickup coil is wound
near the central part of the sample so that the demagnetisation factors involved are ballistic rather than the
magnetometric.
For the uniform field Ha produced, the effective field H acting in the cylindrical sample will be
H = Ha - NM where M is the magnetisation, or
NJ
H  Ha 
0
where N is the normalized demagnetisation factor including 4π and J is the magnetic polarization
defined by
B  0 H  J
with magnetic induction B = µH and
B = µ0(H+M)
B = µ0 ( H + )
J = (𝜇 − 𝜇 )𝐻
Based on these eqs. an electronic circuit may be designed to give the values of J and H and hence the
Hysterisis loop (J-H loop).

𝐻 =𝐺 …………………………………..(1)

Jr G0  0 g x e y r
r   ............................................................(2)
4 A 
g y  s  N   4
 Ac 
Js G0  0 g x e y s
s   ....................................................(3)
4 A 
g y  s  N   4
 Ac 
where
1
 g x g y n 0 Ac (4)
G0
equations (1), (2) and (3) define the magnetic quantities coercivity (Hc ), retentivity( 𝜇 ) and saturation
magnetization(𝜇 ) in terms of electrical signals ex and ey respectively.

Method

Calibration
When an empty pickup coil is placed in the solenoid field, the signal will only be due to the flux
linking with coil area on CRO it will be only a horizontal straight line representing the magnetic field H a.
Thus without a sample in the pickup coil a good horizontal straight line is a proof of complete
cancellation of signals at the input. From unknown values of Ha and the corresponding magnitude of ex,
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we can determine G0 and hence calibrate the instrument. The dimensions of a given sample define the
values of demagnetisation factor and the area ratio pertaining to the pickup coil. The demagnetisation
factor can be obtained from the appendix. These values are adjusted with the value of 10 turn helipots
provided for this purpose. The value of the area ratio can be adjusted upto three decimal places whereas
that of N upto four (Zero to 0.1 max). The sample is now placed in the pickup coil.
Since eddy currents are present in conducting ferromagnetic materials, the resulting J-H loop has
a small loop in the saturation portion due to difference in phases for the forward paths. Moreover, these
plots do not show horizontal lines at saturation and hence their shapes can't be employed as a criterion to
adjust the values of demagnetisation factor.
The values of loop width, intercept on the J-axis and saturation position are determined in terms
of volts for different applied fields. Plots of these against magnetic field are then used to extract the value
of coercivity, retentivity and saturation magnetic polarization. The first corresponds to the intercept of the
width against currents straight line on the Y-axis and it is essentially the measure of the width under no
shielding effects. On the other hand, the remaining two parameters are derived from asymptotic
extensions of the corresponding plots because these refer to the situation when shielding effects are
insignificant. Caution is necessary in making the straight line fit for loop widths as a function of current
data as the points for small values of magnetic current have somewhat lower magnitudes. This is due to
the fact that incomplete saturation produces lower coercivity values in the material. The geometrically
obtained values of potentials are, in turn, used to find the corresponding magnetic parameters through
equations (1), (2) and (3). If the area for a particular sample is so small that loop does not exhibit
observable width, the signal ex can be enhanced by multiplying α (α = ) and β (β = N) by a suitable
factor and adjusting the two helipots accordingly. The ultimate value of the intercept can be normalised
by the same factor to give the correct value of coercivity.

Observations

For this experiment

diameter of the pickup coil=3.21mm
gx=100; gy=1
Sample :Commercial Nickel
Length of sample: 39mm
Diameter of sample: 1.17mm
Therefore,
As
Area ratio  0.133
Ac
Demagnetisation factor (N)= 0.0029(Appendix)

Calibration
Settings: without sample
1. Set Oscilloscope at D.C. (AC/DC knob: AC if up(or out), DC if down(or in))

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2. Keep CRO in XY mode pressing the XY knob. Time base EXT in hysteresis loop tracer(see fig).
H Bal., Phase and DC Bal. adjusted for horizontal straight line in the centre. Demagnetisation at
zero and area ratio 0.40 at magnetic field 200gauss(rms).
ex= 64mm, or
ey= 7.0 V (if read by applying on Y input of CRO)
For Area ratio 1
ex= 160mm, or
ey= 17.5V
200
From Eq. (3) G0 (rms)   1.25gauss / mm
160
G0(peak to peak) = 1.25*2√2 = 3.53gauss/mm
also ,
200
G0 (rms )   11.43gauss / volt
17.5
G0(peak to peak)=11.43*2√2 = 32.23gauss/volt
As
By adjusting N and as given above the J-H loop width is too small. Thus both are adjusted to three
Ac
times i.e. 0.399 and 0.0087 respectively.

3. Now place the sample and vary the magnetic field in steps. Note down the corresponding loop
width (for determining coercivity), loop height (for determining retentivity) and saturation.

(a) Table to determine Coercivity

S No. Magnetic Field (rms) 2*Loop Width

(Gauss) (mm)
1. 30 7.0
2. 62 9.0
3. 94 11.0
4. 138 12.5
5. 179 14.0
6. 226 15.5
7. 266 16.75
8. 302 18.0

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9. 336 18.75

(b) Table to determine Saturation magnetization

S No. Magnetic Field (rms) Tip to Tip height

(Gauss) (mV)
1. 30 205
2. 62 370
3. 94 400
4. 138 420
5. 179 430
6. 226 440
7. 266 445
8. 302 450
9. 336 450

(c) Table to determine Retentivity

S No. Magnetic Field (rms) 2*Intercept

(Gauss) (mV)
1. 30 170
2. 62 260
3. 94 265
4. 138 270
5. 179 270
6. 226 275
7. 266 275
8. 302 275
9. 336 275

From the graphs [fig (4) and (5)]

Loop width = 2.9mm (after dividing by the multiplying factor 3)
2* Intercept = 280mV
Tip to tip height = 457.5mV

Calculations:

For the given sample

Demagnetising Factor N = 0.0029 (given)

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As
Actual area ratio  0.133 (given)
Ac
Set magnetic field at a value close to 200 gauss. (This is r.m.s value of B).
Choose a convenient magnification factor = 3 (say for this case)

set demagnetising Factor N=0; (Actual demagnetising Factor * magnification factor; 0.0029*3= 0.0087)
set area ratio 0.4; ( area ratio Ar= Actual Area ratio* magnification factor; 0.133*3=0.399)
Now with these values as fixed take measurements
read ex using x input of CRO eg. let ex= 64mm
read ey using y input of CRO eg. let ey= 7V
ex for Area ratio of 1= 64/0.4 = 160mm
ey for Area .ratio of 1= 7/0.4 = 17.5V
from this G0(rms) = (Brms)/ex for Ar=1 = 200/160 = 1.25gauss/mm
or
G0 peak to peak = 1.25 * 𝟐√𝟐 = 3.53 gauss/mm
similarly,
G0(rms) (in gauss/v) = (Brms)/ey for Ar=1 = 200/17.5 = 11.43gauss/V
G0 peak to peak = 11.43 x 𝟐√𝟐 = 32.23 gauss/V

Observations with sample:

(a) For Coercivity
find extrapolated loop width
loop width= (Y intercept)/(multiplication factor used) = 8.7mm/3 = 2.9 mm
Since e x  1  loopwidth  1  2.9  1.45mm
2 2
G0 e x 3.53  1.45 from equation (1)
Hc    39.3Oersted
 As  0.133  0.0029
  N 
 Ac 
(b) For Saturation magnetisation
Bc
s 
4
(ey)s=1/2 * tip to tip height = 457.5/2=228.75mV
B G0  0 g x e y s
s  c  from equation(2)
4 A 
g y  s  N   4
 Ac 
32.23  1  100  0.229
  452 gauss
1  0.133  0.0029  12.56
(c ) For Retentivity
read intercept in V from graph= 280 mV

(ey)r=1/2 * (2* Intercept)=1/2 * 280=140mV

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Jr G0  0 g x e y r from equation(3)
r  
4 A 
g y  s  N   4
 Ac 
32.23  1  100  0.140
  276 gauss
1  0.133  0.0029   12.56
Note: the above observation and calculation are given as a typical example. Test results of individual unit
are supplied with the unit separately.

Questions:

1.Explain the difference in J-H loop of hard

and soft iron samples?
2.Why the loop width graph was
extrapolated to zero magnetic
field?
3.Why the asymptotes were drawn for
finding Js and Jr ?

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