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Nanocrystalline cores

Nanocrystalline Tape Wound Cores

Iron-Based nanocrystalline materials have enjoyed increased acceptance in modern electronic designs only in the past few years. Nanocrystalline materials have a proven record of high performance, there has been improved reliability in the manufacturing process and this material is now available from multiple sources.

Nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials are now superior to permalloys, ferrites and even amorphous cobalt based alloys in a growing range of applications. The table below identifies different properties of the various soft magnetic materials that are available today.

Cool Blue for Inverter Drive Motor Systems

A primary application is common mode chokes specifically designed to reduce EMI voltage spikes in Inverter Drive Motor Systems. Read more about Cool Blue® Cores for Inverter Drive Motor Systems

Interview with Magnetec's Hans-Joachim Pöss discussing CoolBlue cores and their applications:

Cores for EMI Filters

Another primary application for the nanocrystalline material so far is common mode chokes for EMI Off-line (Mains) filters for any kind of switched mode power converters and inverter drives. Here the most significant design consideration is the reduction of build volume achieved because of both relevant material parameters (permeability and flux swing) are significantly higher then with Ferrite. Read more about Nanoperm® Cores for EMI Filters

For complete details and reference materials, see also: http://magnetec.mhw-intl.com.

General Specifications:
Saturation Flux Density	1,200 mT
Permeability	25,000—90,000 @ 10KHz
Saturation Magnetostriction	< 0.5 ppm
Spec. Electrical Resistivity	115 µΩcm
Density	7.35 g/cm³
Curie Temperature	600°C
Max. Operating Temperature	120°C
Core Losses (100KHz, 300mT, sine wave)	> 110 W/kg
Alloy Composition	Fe:73.5,Cu:1,Nb:3,Si:15.5,B:7

Nanocrystalline vs. other alloys
Material	Alloy Composition	Strip Thickness	Losses	Saturation Bsat	Magneto- striction	Permeability
Material	Alloy Composition	µm	20KHz 200mT W/Kg	mT	λs 10-6	50Hz
Nanocrystalline Alloys	FE 73 (Si,B) 24	20	4	1,200	0.1	20,000-200,000
Standard Crystalline Permalloy	Ni 60 Fe 40	50	45	1,200	10	20,000-30,000
Advanced Crystalline Alloy	Fe 93.5 Si 6.5	50	40	1,300	0.1	16,000
Amorphous Alloys	FE 76 (Si,B) 24	25	18	1,500	25	6,500-8,000
High Performance Ferrite	MnZn	-	17	50	-	1,000-30,000
Advanced Crystalline Permalloy	NI 80 FE 20	30	14	800	1	100,000-300,000
Amorphous Alloy IIa	Co 73 (Si,B) 27	25	5	550	< 0.2	100,000-150,000
Amorphous Alloy IIb	Co 77 (Si,B) 23	25	6.5	1,000	< 0.2	2,000-4,500
Amorphous Alloy IIc	Co 80 (Si,B) 20	25	6.5	1,000	< 0.2	1,000-2,500

Applications

By variation of the annealing parameters, the required properties such as shape of the B/H-Loop and permeability can be adjusted in a wide range (See figure below). As a result, the spectrum of applications in power electronics ranges from chokes and filters to power transformers.

Graph demonstrating the variable range of Hysteresis Loops and Permeability Levels

Benefits

Nanocrystalline over ferrite or permalloy:	Secondary mainstream applications:
Significant Reduction of Build Volume of Inductive Component Less Heat Dissipation due to Reduced Number of Turns Stable Operation in a Temperature Range of –25 to +120°C. Larger Safety Margins Variable Toroidal Geometries—Tooling costs may apply	Power transformers in push-pull converters (full wave) from a few hundred watts to several KW Trigger transformers for IGBT-driven converters Current Transformers Transformers for Passive Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (Europe primarily)