Tuesday, 6 January 2026

Enhanced Soft-magnetic Performance of Fe-based Composites Via Nanoparticle Doping and Hot-press Sintering for High-frequency Applications | Chapter 01 | Physical Science: New Insights and Developments Vol. 4

 

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are vital in modern power electronics, including transformers, motors, and generators, where high permeability, low core loss, and high-frequency stability are critical. This chapter presents a comprehensive study on the structural and magnetic performance of FeSi-based and Fe/Fe₃O₄-based SMCs synthesised via the hot-press sintering technique, focusing on the influence of magnetic nanoparticle doping on their soft magnetic behaviour.

In Fe–6.5 wt% Si/Fe₂O₃ SMCs, the incorporation of high-resistivity Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles effectively filled interparticle gaps and enhanced densification. All samples exhibit excellent effective permeability frequency stability, ranging from 10 kHz to 100 kHz. Furthermore, as the Fe2O3 content increased from 0 to 2 wt%, the effective permeability (μₑ) significantly improved from 22.32 to 30.45 (a 36.4% increase). Adding Fe2O3 nanopowders from 0–5 wt% also enhanced electrical resistivity from 29.55 to 50.70 mΩ.cm. This, in turn, decreased the value of Pe at f = 100 kHz and Bm=10 mT from 6.61 to 4.15 kW/cm3 (a 37.21% reduction), compared to undoped samples. Furthermore, as Fe2O3 content increases from 0 to 5 wt%, the power loss Pcv of the Fe2O3-doped Fe-6.5Si SMCs decreases from 25.63 kW/m3 to 16.13 kW/m3, a 37.0% reduction.

Similarly, in Fe–6.5 wt% Si/(Fe: TiO₂) nanocomposites, with increased doping concentration of Fe nanopowder from 0 to 1.66 vol%, both the density and electrical resistivity significantly increased from 6.72 g/cm³ to 7.11 g/cm³ (up 5.78 %) and from 29. 36 mΩ.cm to 37.16 mΩ.cm, respectively. This can be attributed to reduced interparticle voids and carrier scattering. The value of saturation magnetisation (Ms) increased first from 180.89 emu/g to 189.5 emu/g as the Fe NP content increased from 0 to 1.66 vol%, reaching a maximum value of about 189.5 emu/g for a sample with 1.66 vol% of Fe nanopowder content. Furthermore, all the composites exhibit low coercivity (<15 Oe) and excellent effective permeability frequency stability in the 0-1 MHz range. The eddy current loss at f =100 kHz and Bm=10 mT is significantly decreased from 50.09 kW/m3 to 8.168 kW/m3 (decreased by 83.69 %) as the Fe nanoparticle content increased from 0 to 1.66 vol%. However, with further increase of Fe nanoparticles from 1.66 vol% to 3.32 vol%, the value of Pe increased from 8.168 kW/m3 to 71.92 kW/m3. Furthermore, the lowest value of Ph observed in our case for a sample containing 2.49 vol% of Fe is 0.677 kW/m3.

Furthermore, Fe/Fe₃O₄–Co composites, developed via surface oxidation and Co nanoparticle doping, demonstrated superior magnetic performance. The value of Ms is significantly increased from 207 emu/g to 216 emu/g as Fe (NP) content changed from 0-1 wt%. The μe measured in the frequency range of 0-2 MHz initially drops first from 97.30 to 61.72 as the content changes from 0 to 1 wt%. However, with the further increase of Co nano powder content, μe increased, reaching a maximum value of 237.42 (144 % compared to the sample with 0 wt% of Co NP). Moreover, the composites also exhibit excellent DC bias performance in the DC bias field range of 0-110 Oe; the % permeability for all composites is higher than 65.16 %, at 100 kOe, with a peak value of about 72.01. The Co-doped samples also showed significantly reduced total core loss and enhanced electrical resistance, which contributed to improved particle bonding and magnetic coupling. The electrical resistivity increased from 15 mΩ.cm to 55.54 mΩ.cm as the Co (NP) content changed from 0 to 1 wt%. This in turn reduced Pe from 470 kW/m3 to 396 kW/m3 at f=100 kHz and Bm=10 mT.

The results highlight that optimal nanopowder doping combined with hot pressing promotes favourable microstructural evolution, leading to significant enhancement in the magnetic and electrical properties of Fe-based soft magnetic composites and optimises the balance between permeability and core loss. This design strategy enables the development of high-density, low-loss, and frequency-stable Fe-based SMCs, making them highly suitable for next-generation high-power, high-frequency, and energy-efficient electronic applications.

 

Author(s) Details :-

 

Muhammad Arif
Department of Applied Physics and Institute of Natural Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Republic of Korea.

 

Young-Kwang Kim
Technical Research Lab, R-Materials Co. Ltd., Yongin, 17111, Republic of Korea.

 

Jong-Soo Rhyee
Department of Applied Physics and Institute of Natural Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Republic of Korea.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/psniad/v4/6648

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