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Controlling properties of metal–polymer soft magnetic composites through microstructural deformation for power inductor applications

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Abstract

We studied the effect of microstructural deformation on soft magnetic metal powders in a power inductor operating above 1 MHz. In this study, an inductor core was fabricated using Fe-6.5Si powders that exhibit a high electrical resistance and a large magnetic saturation value. This core was formed with a high-density microstructure using nano Fe powders synthesized via pulsed wire evaporation. The permeability was maximized at the content ratio for which the maximum density and packing fraction were observed according to the relationship between permeability and packing fraction outlined in Ollendorff’s equation. Experimentally, the highest packing fraction and permeability were observed in the core containing 20 wt% nano Fe powder. Further, the sample with the highest packing fraction showed a relatively low core loss, compared to the other samples. Thus, the inductor core is affected by the intrinsic properties and microstructure of the soft magnetic material used.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this manuscript.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Materials, Components & Equipments Research Program funded by the Gyeonggi Province (AICT-003-T1).

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  1. Department of Physics and Oxide Research Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 17035, Yongin, South Korea

    Min Young Lee, Yeon Jun Choi, Seok Hee Lee, Ji Hun Ahn & Bo Wha Lee

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Contributions

MYL contributed toward methodology, preparation and writing of the original draft, and data curation. YJC contributed toward methodology, writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. SHL contributed toward conceptualization, data analysis, preparation and writing of the original draft, data curation, and visualization. JHA contributed toward methodology, writing, reviewing, and editing of the manuscript. BWL contributed toward project administration, funding acquisition, and supervision.

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Correspondence to Bo Wha Lee.

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Lee, M., Choi, Y., Lee, S. et al. Controlling properties of metal–polymer soft magnetic composites through microstructural deformation for power inductor applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 15763–15772 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-022-08478-1

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