Magnetic properties of soft magnetic composites prepared with crystalline and amorphous powders

Physical properties of soft magnetic composites prepared with a mixture of amorphous (FeSiBC) and crystalline (Fe) powders coated with distinct electrical insulator contents are reported. Density, saturation polarization, permeability and coercivity of the cores reduce linearly with the increase of the softer magnetic phase amount and a general relation can be expressed by a rule of mixtures. The behavior of the coercivity, as a function of the magnetic phase content, differs from that previously reported for magnetic composites prepared with equal amounts of magnetic and non-magnetic phases. For frequencies upto 1 kHz the magnetic losses of the cores are constant, following the same behavior of the coercivity. A qualitative explanation of the behavior of the latter is addressed based on an expression applicable for crystalline and amorphous materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.