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I want to try an experiment where I have to attract or repel thin sheets of material using an electromagnet. I have found lots of magnetic sheets for sale, but all of them are magnetized so that the north and south poles are aligned in rows on both sides. For the electromagnet to be able to interact with them, the sheets need to be magnetized so that the north pole is all along one face and the south pole in the other face, or vice versa.

Can I remangetize the sheets at home easily, or do I have to specifically order the sheets I want from the manufacturer? Can I run a strong neodymium magnet on top of the sheet so that the surface below gains the polarity opposite of the neodymium magnet? Can I achieve this effect with an electromagnet instead?

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  • $\begingroup$ Can you warp the sheets? $\endgroup$
    – Alex Trounev
    Commented Oct 12, 2019 at 22:41
  • $\begingroup$ I can warp them, but once I apply them to the intended surface they will remain in their intended position and won’t be able to move. $\endgroup$
    – Ermir
    Commented Oct 12, 2019 at 22:49

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Yes, in principle you can flip the magnetization with an external field. You’ll find this in research papers all the time, in M vs H graphs showing the hysteresis of M, and the field needed to flip it. But whether you’ll be able to do this at home will depend on a bunch of practical questions, such as the strength of the magnetic anisotropy in your film, the direction of anisotropy, and the strength of your applied field. The anisotropy also depends on geometry, so the thicker the film, the harder it may be to flip.

I say just try it and see!

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