Characterization and Multiscale Modeling of the Magneto-Elastic Behavior of Galfenol

The properties of giant magnetostrictive materials (GMMs) in actuation, sensing, or energy harvesting applications are very sensitive to pre-stress levels. This work presents the experimental characterization of the magneto-mechanical behavior of Galfenol under static compressive and tensile stress. The results show the high sensitivity of both magnetization and strain to the stress level. A multiscale modeling tool is then used to model the measured magnetic and magnetostrictive responses. The results demonstrate the ability of the proposed multiscale approach to capture the magneto-elastic effects with a very limited number of material parameters.