Using a can crusher on steel cans is more difficult.
“Continue reading” for more details and photo of the result.
These tuna cans are short but of the same diameter as soft drink cans. They are physically a lot stronger which makes the comparison rather poor. I have attached a NIB magnet to demonstrate the magnetic nature.
Steel can crushing is a lot harder due to the strength and the opposing effects of magnetic attraction and the eddy currents which will be lower due to the higher resistance of steel. Although I have already shown that resistance of the can is not the major limitation.
I imagine that you have to reach saturation in the iron at about 2 Tesla and then any additional current will go into eddy current production and not additional magnetic effect on the steel.
The photo above shows shots at 2 kJ and 4 kJ. With the 2 kJ shot, I opened the smoking wooden box to the rather pungent smell of burning tuna. I had washed the can but some liquid had got under the label. There is perhaps only 10 % crushing. There is a magnet attached to the tuna can.
With 4 kJ there is perhaps 30 % crushing. The can gets very hot as expected.
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Photo Date: 2005