What Is Ferrite Powder?
Ferrite powder is simply ferrite ground down. Ferrite is a chemical compound of ceramic materials, with the bulk of those materials being iron oxide. It was invented in 1930 at the Tokyo Institute of Technology by Yogoro Kato and Takeshi Takei.
Ferrite and its ground down form are usually non-conductive and used widely in electronic and magnetic applications; depending on whether it is a hard or soft ferrite. Soft ferrite holds less of a magnetic charge than its Hard counterpart. Both Soft and Hard Ferrite have many and varied uses.
Soft ferrite is used in transformers and inductors for switched-mode power supplies, as well as electromagnetic cores. Manganese-zinc ferrite and nickel-zinc ferrite are two of the most common soft ferrite. Soft ferrite has a low coercivity and a high resistivity. Two criteria essential in preventing energy loss in transformers and electromagnetic cores.
Hard ferrite is used more to make permanent magnets. Hard ferrite is more dense and holds a magnetic charge very well. Most of the magnets in your home are made of Hard ferrite. The refrigerator magnets that pull the door closed, the various magnets you use to hold stuff on the fridge door, and the magnetic cases that protect various tablet devices – all composed of Hard ferrite. The most common types of Hard ferrite are Barium ferrite and Cobalt ferrite. Barium ferrite is commonly used in magnetic stripes on cards (credit cards, work IDs and gift cards to name a few examples). Hard ferrite is cheap and holds a magnetic charge more effectively than iron.
Ferrite powder is the compound used to make what you need into the shape of, say, a fridge magnet or a clasp for a toy; as well as a coil for a transformer or an electromagnetic core. Imagine cake molds with the ferrite being the batter. Companies (like General Electric or Westinghouse) can purchase these powders and cast their own molds for what ever purposes they need. Ferrite in a ground down form is used widely in many different industries. Everything from data recording to speakers, and appliances to advertising/signage. Ferrite is used so frequently because it is very cheap to manufacture; especially considering natural magnets, or lodestones, are very rare and costly. Magnets are an extremely effective tool used in a lot of everyday products; powder allows this to happen in an affordable way. Without ferrite our technology would be even more expensive and harder to mass produce.