Material sheet

Sintered Soft Magnetic Components

This family includes iron-based sintered materials designed for soft magnetic applications: pure iron, iron-phosphorus, iron-silicon and iron-nickel. They are selected for their magnetic response in direct current fields, their permeability, induction and low coercivity.

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Applications

A family focused on magnetic response

Sintered soft magnetic materials are used when the component must guide, concentrate or transmit magnetic flux, especially in electromagnetic systems, sensors, relays, actuators or small motors.

Magnetic cores, flux circuits and pole pieces
Relays, electromagnets, actuators and locking systems
Motor components and small electromechanical assemblies
Applications in DC fields or limited frequency operation depending on the material

Key points

Density and metallurgical cleanliness are critical

For a given grade, higher density generally improves magnetic induction. Coercivity and permeability are highly sensitive to sintering conditions, interstitial impurities and secondary operations that may degrade magnetic performance.

Density Higher magnetic induction.

Sintering Influences coercivity and permeability.

Carbon Should be avoided to preserve properties.

Application areas

This overview presents the main families of sintered soft magnetic materials, with a focus on electromagnetic function and industrial trade-offs.

Family	Typical applications	Main advantage
Pure magnetic iron	Cores, pole pieces, simple electromagnets, cost-effective magnetic circuits	Simple, ductile and economical solution with good induction when density is sufficient
Iron-phosphorus	Relays, actuators and electromagnetic systems requiring improved permeability	Better magnetic response than pure iron, with increased mechanical strength
Iron-silicon	Magnetic components requiring low coercivity and good permeability	Very good magnetic response, but properties are highly process-sensitive
Iron-nickel	Specialized components requiring very high permeability and low coercivity	Higher magnetic performance, but more costly and application-specific

Indicative magnetic and mechanical properties

The ranges below summarize the typical values of sintered soft magnetic materials in SI units. They are intended for preliminary design guidance; final selection depends on density, sintering cycle, geometry and actual magnetic requirements.

Material family	Typical density	Bm induction	Hc coercivity	Max permeability	Apparent hardness	Mechanical strength
Pure magnetic iron	6.6 – 7.2 g/cm³	0.90 – 1.20 T	145 – 165 A/m	1800 – 2700	40 – 55 HRF	130 – 255 MPa
Iron-phosphorus	6.8 – 7.2 g/cm³	1.05 – 1.25 T	120 – 145 A/m	2300 – 3200	40 – 55 HRB	275 – 380 MPa
Iron-silicon	6.8 – 7.2 g/cm³	1.10 – 1.30 T	70 – 80 A/m	3000 – 5000	65 – 75 HRB	310 – 380 MPa
Iron-nickel	7.0 – 7.5 g/cm³	0.90 – 1.20 T	25 A/m	8000 – 10000	28 – 40 HRB	240 – 275 MPa

Economic approach to material selection

Selecting a soft magnetic material is not limited to mechanical strength. The decision must balance induction, coercivity, permeability, density, material cost and any secondary operations that may modify magnetic behavior.

Industrial requirement	Material orientation	Compromise to monitor
Simple and economical magnetic solution	Pure magnetic iron	Good cost efficiency, but performance limited by density and coercivity
Improve permeability and magnetic response	Iron-phosphorus	Better magnetic compromise, but process control is important
Reduce coercivity	Iron-silicon	Very strong magnetic potential, but highly sensitive to sintering conditions
Very high permeability	Iron-nickel	Specialized and more expensive solution reserved for justified functions

Design considerations

For soft magnetic components, geometry, final density, material purity, sintering atmosphere and secondary operations must all be studied together. Certain operations such as repressing, steam treatment or coating may improve surface finish or tolerances, but can also degrade magnetic performance.

This family should be selected according to the actual magnetic function: available field, required flux, acceptable losses, mechanical needs and acceptable cost level.

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