Advanced Ferrite Materials Target High-Power Designs

March 17, 2003

Available in a wide range of core shapes and sizes, these materials combine low power loss with high performance.

Designers of high-power ferrite circuits that require low power loss can now avail themselves of advanced ferrite materials specifically designed for their applications. The P1 and P2 series of materials from AVX Corp. come in a wide range of core shapes and sizes for use in system functions, including battery chargers, industrial induction heating, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), and welding equipment. Both P1 and P2 materials target applications requiring low power loss in the frequency range of 25 to 200 kHz. They're optimized for operating between 80°C and 100°C.

"We've implemented this improvement to our materials to provide high saturation flux density for high-power applications," says Bill Peace, AVX product manager. "These materials offer extremely low power loss in a wide range of frequencies."

The P1 material provides power loss as low as 65 mW/cm³ at a frequency of 25 kHz, a magnetic field of 200 mT (milliTesla), and a temperature of 100°C, which represents a 40% reduction in power loss versus AVX's current B2 material. The P2 material provides power loss as low as 40 mW/cm³ at 25 kHz, 200 mT, and 100°C. P2's 45-mW/cm³ power loss at 100 kHz, 100 mT, and 100°C represent a loss that's 40% lower than P1 material.

The most popular shapes are E and U cores, I bars, and toroidal cores up to 1.6 kg per core. AVX can also develop custom shapes upon request.

Typical pricing for the P1 and P2 series structures in large core sizes starts at $0.90 each in OEM quantities. They are available immediately.

AVX Corp.
www.avxcorp.com
(843) 946-0414

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About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.