Designation: A 664 – 06e1

Standard Practice for

Identification of Standard Electrical Steel Grades in ASTM
Specifications1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 664; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

e1 NOTE—The values statement (1.3) was corrected editorially in September 2006.

1. Scope A 340 Terminology of Symbols and Definitions Relating to

1.1 This practice covers the procedure for designating Magnetic Testing
(within ASTM specifications) standard grades of flat-rolled A 677 Specification for Nonoriented Electrical Steel Fully
electrical steels made to specified maximum values of core Processed Types
loss. This practice applies to magnetically soft irons and steel A 683 Specification for Nonoriented Electrical Steel, Semi-
(low-carbon steels and alloys of iron with silicon, aluminum, processed Types
and so forth) where a core loss measurement at a stated peak A 726 Specification for Cold-Rolled Magnetic Lamination
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value of alternating induction and a stated frequency, such as Quality Steel, Semiprocessed Types
15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz, is normally used to grade the A 840/A 840M Specification for Fully Processed Magnetic
material. This practice also applies when some other property Lamination Steel
is specified (or a different induction or frequency, or both) as A 876 Specification for Flat-Rolled, Grain-Oriented,
the limiting characteristic, provided the material also meets all Silicon-Iron, Electrical Steel, Fully Processed Types
the requirements of the ASTM specification. A 976 Classification of Insulating Coatings for Electrical
1.2 Individual specifications that are in conformity with this Steels by Composition, Relative Insulating Ability and
practice are Specifications A 677, A 683, A 726, A 840/ Application
A 840M, and A 876.
3. Terminology
1.3 The values stated in customary (cgs-emu and inch-
pound) units are to be regarded as standard. The values given 3.1 The terms and symbols used in this practice are defined
in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units which in Terminology A 340.
are provided for information only and are not considered 4. Procedure
standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the 4.1 General Requirements of the Core-Loss-Type
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the Designations—The core-loss-type designations to be used for
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- ordering purposes and for identification of the shipped material
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- in ASTM specifications for electrical steels shall be a six-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. character identification (for example, 36F145) comprised of
the following basic elements:
2. Referenced Documents 4.1.1 First Two Digits—The first two digits of the grade
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2 designation shall represent the nominal decimal thickness of
the material in millimetres. For instance, the number 36
represents a thickness of 0.36 mm or 0.014 in. Refer to
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A06 on Magnetic Appendix X1 for the relationship between Electrical Sheet
Properties and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee A06.02 on Material Gauge Number and thickness.
Specifications.
Current edition approved May 1, 2006. Published May 2006. Originally
4.1.2 Code Letters—A code letter shall designate the gen-
approved in 1972. Last previous edition approved in 1999 as A 664 – 99. eral category of magnetic material and the standard sampling
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or and testing practices that apply. The precise conditions of
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM sampling and testing are given in the ASTM specification
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website. covering each class of material. The code letter to be used and

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 A 664 – 06e1
TABLE 1 Code Letters and Sampling and Testing Conditions
Code Letter ASTM Specification Class of Material and Core-Loss Testing Conditions
C A 840/A 840M Magnetic lamination steel, fully processed, with core-loss value determined at
15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on as-sheared Epstein specimens.A

D A 726 Magnetic lamination steel, semiprocessed, with core-loss value determined at

15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on Epstein specimensA after a quality development
anneal at 1450°F (790°C) with a 1-h soak period.

F A 677 Nonoriented electrical steel, fully processed, with core-loss value determined at
15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on as-sheared Epstein specimens.A

S A 683 Nonoriented electrical steel, semiprocessed, with core-loss value determined at

15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on Epstein specimensA after a quality development
anneal at 1550°F (845°C) with a 1-h soak period, except that the temperature
shall be 1450°F (790°C) for alloy contents less than 1.3 % silicon plus aluminum.

G A 876 Grain-oriented electrical steel, fully processed, with core-loss value determined
at 15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on Epstein specimensB stress-relief annealed usually
in the range from 1450 to 1550°F (790 to 845°C) with a 1-h soak period.

H A 876 Grain-oriented electrical steel, fully processed, with core-loss value determined
at 17 kG (1.7 T) and 60 Hz on Epstein specimensB stress-relief annealed usually
in the range from 1450 to 1550°F (790 to 845°C) with a 1-h soak period.

P A 876 Grain-oriented electrical steel, fully processed, high permeability, with core-loss
value determined at 17 kG (1.7 T) and 60 Hz on Epstein specimens,B stress-
relief annealed usually in the range from 1450 to 1550°F (790 to 845°C) with a
1-h soak period. Relative peak permeability at 10 Oe (796 A/m) typically exceeds
1880.

Q A 876 Grain-oriented electrical steel, fully processed, high permeability, laser scribed,
with core-loss value determined at 17 kG (1.7 T) and 60 Hz on an as-sheared
sheet-type test specimen. Relative peak permeability at 10 Oe (796 A/m)
typically exceeds 1880.
A
Test specimen with one half of the strips cut parallel to the rolling direction and the other half cut perpendicular to the rolling direction.
B
Test specimen with all strips cut parallel to the rolling direction.

the sampling and testing conditions associated with that letter fully processed, in a thickness of 0.35 mm with a maximum
shall be as in Table 1. core loss of 0.66 W/lb measured at 15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on
4.1.3 Last Digits—The last three digits of the grade desig- Epstein specimens with all strips cut parallel to the rolling
nation shall represent the maximum permissible core loss in direction, stress-relief annealed at 1450 to 1550°F (790 to
watts per pound for the test conditions indicated by the code 845°C) with a 1-h soak period.
letter. For instance, the 145 designation on a standard ASTM 5.2 The ASTM grade designations for electrical steel shall
specification used in conjunction with the Code Letter F be assigned only by ASTM. They shall apply only when an
represents 1.45 W/lb for the maximum value of core loss ASTM specification incorporating that grade designation has
determined at 15 kG (1.5 T) and 60 Hz on an as-sheared become effective through the normal standardizing activities of
Epstein specimen consisting of one half of the strips cut the Society. The ASTM grade designations shall be used to
parallel to the rolling direction and the other half cut perpen- identify electrical steel grades only when the material so
dicular to the rolled direction. identified complies with the requirements of the ASTM speci-
5. Use of Standard Electrical Steel Grade Designations fication of which the grade designation is a part.
5.1 The standard grade designation, formulated as described
6. Keywords
herein, shall be used together with the appropriate ASTM
specification to designate specifically the desired material. For 6.1 core loss; electrical steel; fully processed; grain-oriented
instance, a material designated ASTM Specification A 876 electrical steel; identification; laser scribed; magnetic lamina-
Type 35G066, would signify grain-oriented electrical steel, tion steel; nonoriented electrical steel; semiprocessed

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 A 664 – 06e1
APPENDIXES

(Nonmandatory Information)

X1. ELECTRICAL SHEET GAUGE NUMBERS

X1.1 Table X1.1 shows the relationship between Electrical TABLE X1.1 Electrical Sheet Gauge Number
Sheet Gauge Numbers and thickness. This is for information Electrical Sheet Thickness
only. Gauge Number in. mm
16 0.0625 1.59
17 0.0560 1.42
18 0.0500 1.27
19 0.0453 1.15
20 0.0375 0.952
21 0.0340 0.864
22 0.0310 0.787
23 0.0280 0.711
24 0.0250 0.635
25 0.0220 0.559
26 0.0185 0.470
27 0.0170 0.432
28 0.0155 0.394
29 0.0140 0.356
30 0.0125 0.318
31 0.0100 0.254

X2. USE OF INSULATING COATINGS DESIGNATION

X2.1 In the interest of promoting computerized databases, combination is correct since not all coatings are applicable to
the electrical steel designation contained in this practice can be a given grade of steel. Since Classification A 976 is not a
combined with the coatings designation listed in Classification specification, it is not appropriate at this time to specify
A 976 to form an identifying alphanumeric field. The user insulating coating behavior.
should consult with the steel producer to verify that the

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