Magnetic Viscosity of Rail Steel and its Influence on Magnetization of Rails Tested by High-Rate Magnetic Flaw Detection Methods

It is well known that the depth of magnetization of a rail tested by the high-speed magnetic method depends on two factors, namely, eddy currents and the magnetic viscosity of the rail steel. Both factors act simultaneously, and it is very difficult to separate them in order to estimate the degree of influence of each factor on magnetization of the rail. In the present study a method for distinguishing the effect of the magnetic viscosity of the rail steel against of a background of the eddy-current process is proposed. Real data on the parameters of the magnetic viscosity of the rail steel are given and the possibility of taking its effect on rail magnetization into account is discussed.