Exploring Soft Ferrite Production: Experiences & Questions

[Electropioneer]

Does anyone on this forum have any experience in soft ferrites production?
I am Electronic and Control Engineer, and I am using them all the time. My knowledge of Chemistry is limited, to say the least, and I wish to learn more about how they are molded and made..

1) I assume that ferrite powder is combined with some binding compound and heated to high temperature. Probably by inductive heating... Is my assumption correct?

2) I found this formula in a paper (and wikipedia), it describes ferrite material. MnxZn(1-x)Fe2O4 but I don't understand what does this "x" means. if x=0.5, how can something be Half Manganese-Half Zinc?? It makes no sense to me...

If anyone would be kind enough to provide me with some reading material on the subject, i would be grateful. Also, i tried google-ing but couldn't come up with anything. It might be because I am not sure what I am looking for.

Thank you.

 

[Navin A S]

Yes, your assumption is correct. The x in the formula is a variable that represents the molar fraction of manganese and zinc present in the ferrite material. For example if x=0.5, then the ferrite material is a 50:50 mix of manganese and zinc. You will find this formula used to describe a variety of different ferrite materials. As for reading material, you can start by looking up the following books and articles on ferrites: 1) "Ferrites: Structure, Properties, and Applications" by B.K. Mishra 2) "Soft Ferrites: Properties and Applications" by Udaya Kumar3) "Soft Ferrite Technology: Principles, Properties, and Applications" by P.S. Rao4) "Soft Ferrites: Fundamentals and Applications" by K. V. R. CharyYou can also check out the websites of ferrite manufacturers for more information about their production processes. Good luck!