Ferrite (magnet)

A stack of ferrite magnets.

Ferrites are a class of chemical compounds with the formula AB₂O₄, where A and B represent various metal cations, usually including iron. These ceramic materials are used in applications ranging from magnetic components in microelectronics.

Ferrites are a class of spinels, materials that adopt a crystal motif consisting of cubic close-packed (FCC) oxides (O^2-) with A cations occupying one-eighth of the octahedral holes and B cations occupying half of the octahedral holes. The magnetic material known as "ZnFe" has the deceptively simple formula ZnFe₂O₄, with Fe³⁺ occupying the octahedral sites and half of the tetrahedral sites. The remaining tetrahedral sites in this spinel are occupied by Zn²⁺.

Properties

Ferrites are usually non-conductive ferrimagnetic ceramic compounds derived from iron oxides such as hematite (Fe₂O₃) or magnetite (Fe₃O₄) as well as oxides of other metals. Ferrites are, like most other ceramics, hard and brittle. In terms of the magnetic properties, ferrites are often classified as "soft" and "hard" which refers to their low or high coercivity of their magnetism, respectively.

Soft ferrites

Ferrites that are used in transformer or electromagnetic cores contain nickel, zinc, or manganese compounds. They have a low coercivity and are called soft ferrites. Because of their comparatively low losses at high frequencies, they are extensively used in the cores of Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) and RF transformers and inductors. A common ferrite, abbreviated "MnZn," is composed of the oxides of manganese and zinc.

Hard ferrites

In contrast, permanent ferrite magnets (or "hard ferrites"), which have a high remanence after magnetization, are composed of iron and barium or strontium oxides. In a magnetically saturated state they conduct magnetic flux well and have a high magnetic permeability. This enables these so-called ceramic magnets to store stronger magnetic fields than iron itself. They are the most commonly used magnets in radios. The maximum magnetic field B is about 0.35 tesla and the magnetic field strength H is about 30 to 160 kiloampere turns per meter (400 to 2000 oersteds) (Hill 2006).

Production

Ferrites are produced by heating an intimate mixture of powdered precursors and then heated and pressed in a mold. During the heating process, calcination of carbonates occurs:

MCO₃ → MO + CO₂

The oxides of barium and strontium are typically supplied as their carbonates, BaCO₃ or SrCO₃. The resulting mixture of oxides undergoes sintering. Afterwards the cooled product is milled to particles smaller than two μm in order to produce Weiss domains in the size of one particle. Next the powder is pressed into a shape, dried, and re-sintered. The shaping may be performed in an external magnetic field, in order to achieve a preferred orientation of the particles (anisotropy).

Small and geometrically easy shapes may be produced with dry pressing. However, in such a process small particles may agglomerate and lead to poorer magnetic properties compared to the wet pressing process. Direct calcination and sintering without re-milling is possible as well but leads to poor magnetic properties.

Electromagnets are pre-sintered as well (pre-reaction), milled and pressed. However, the sintering takes place in a specific atmosphere, for instance one with an oxygen shortage. The chemical composition and especially the structure vary strongly between the precursor and the sintered product.

Uses

Ferrite cores are used in electronic inductors, transformers, and electromagnets where the high electrical resistance of the ferrite leads to very low eddy current losses. They are commonly seen as a lump in a computer cable, called a ferrite bead, which helps to prevent high frequency electrical noise (radio frequency interference) from exiting or entering the equipment.

Early computer memories stored data in the residual magnetic fields of hard ferrite cores, which were assembled into arrays of core memory. Ferrite powders are used in the coatings of magnetic recording tapes. One such type of material is iron (III) oxide.

Ferrite particles are also used as a component of radar-absorbing materials or coatings used in stealth aircraft and in the expensive absorption tiles lining the rooms used for electromagnetic compatibility measurements.

Most common radio magnets, including those used in loudspeakers, are ferrite magnets. Ferrite magnets have largely displaced Alnico magnets in these applications.

It is a common magnetic material for electromagnetic instrument pickups, because of price and relatively high output. However, such pickups lack certain sonic qualities found in other pickups, such as those that use Alnico alloys or more sophisticated magnets.

See also

• Iron
• Magnetism

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Amorphous Magnetic Cores For High Frequency Electronics Hill Technical Sales. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
• Bartlett, Bruce and others. 2005. Practical Recording Techniques. Oxford, UK: Focal Press. ISBN 0240806859
• Luecke, Gerald and others. 2004. General Radiotelephone Operator License Plus Radar Endorsement. Richardson, TX: Master Pub. ISBN 0945053142
• Meeldijk, Victor. 1997. Electronic Components: Selection and Application Guidelines. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN 0471189723
• Ott, Henry. 1988. Noise Reduction Techniques in Electronic Systems. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. ISBN 0471850683
• Schaller, George E. Ferrite Processing & Effects on Material Performance Retrieved October 17, 2008.

External links

• What are the bumps at the end of computer cables? Retrieved October 17, 2008.

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