Prediction and measurement of rotation of magnetization in an anisotropic polycrystalline ferromagnetic material

Many polycrystalline ferromagnetic materials are anisotropic; as a result, flux density B and field strength H are not in general parallel to each other. A simple analysis of this effect is given for two-dimensional magnetization. The spatial angle between B and H is predicted from the shapes of the B versus H loops in directions of maximum and minimum permeabilities. Experimental results are given that verify the analysis and show that in some cases B and H rotate in opposite directions, each through 180°, as the B versus H loop is traversed.