Electronics / RF-Microwave Ferrous Metals and Iron Alloys
Last Updated: April 1, 2025
Description
Ferrous metals and iron alloys are materials primarily composed of iron. They are used extensively in various industries due to their magnetic properties and structural strength. These materials are integral in the creation of magnetic cores, wires, and other components essential for electronic and RF-microwave applications.
Working Principle
Ferrous metals and iron alloys operate based on their ferromagnetic properties, which allow them to be magnetized and demagnetized. This characteristic is crucial for their use in electronic components like inductors and transformers. The high permeability of these materials enables efficient magnetic field conduction, while their low coercivity and hysteresis loss minimize energy loss during magnetic field cycling. These properties make them particularly useful in applications requiring efficient energy transfer and minimal signal distortion.
Applications
Ferrous metals and iron alloys are used in a wide range of applications. In electronics, they are commonly found in inductors, transformers, and electromagnets. Ferrite cores, a type of ferrous material, are used in electronic inductors and transformers due to their high electrical resistance and low eddy current losses. Additionally, these materials are used in the aerospace and military sectors, where they serve as components in radar-absorbing materials and electromagnetic compatibility measurement tiles. They are also used in the production of loudspeaker magnets and magnetic recording tapes.
Advantages over other Ferrous Metals and Iron Alloys
Ferrite ceramics and ferromagnetic materials offer several advantages over other ferrous metals and iron alloys. They have higher permeabilities than powdered iron or Permalloy cores, which allows for better magnetic field conduction. Additionally, they exhibit low losses, especially eddy current losses, at higher frequencies, making them suitable for applications in the RF-microwave range. Their properties are nearly isotropic, providing consistent performance regardless of orientation.
Limitations
Despite their advantages, ferrous metals and iron alloys have certain limitations. Ferrite materials, for example, have a low Curie point, which limits their operational temperature range. They also require precision grinding of air gaps and are brittle, necessitating careful handling and additional mounting hardware. Furthermore, their permeability decreases with frequency, which can affect performance in certain high-frequency applications.
Considerations
When selecting ferrous metals and iron alloys for electronic and RF-microwave applications, several factors should be considered. Initial costs can vary depending on the specific material and its required processing, such as precision grinding. Operating expenses may be influenced by the material's efficiency and energy loss characteristics. Durability is a concern due to the brittleness of some materials, which may lead to higher replacement and maintenance costs. Additionally, the accuracy of these materials in maintaining consistent magnetic properties is crucial for their effective use in precision applications.
from Dexmet® Corporation, a part of PPG’s engineered materials division
A superior alternative to woven wire, our precision expanded metals are used in a wide variety of applications that require an open-area product. Dexmet expanded metal foils are used for aerospace and wind turbine lightning strike protection, EMI shielding, advanced primary and secondary battery... [See More]
- Applications: Aerospace or Aircraft Quality; Automotive or Vehicular; Battery / Fuel Cell; Electronics or semiconductors; Oil & Gas Wells; Plain bearing or Bushing
- Shape / Form: Precision Expanded Metals
- Type: CarbonSteel; Stainless
- Features: Coated / Painted (optional feature)
from Tokusen Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Dot pins are used in printers that form letters and numerals as a collection of dots. The pins, a mission-critical component in these dot-matrix printers, must be reliable enough to withstand more than 400 million impacts. Our high-quality dot pins are the product of advanced technology in drawing... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors; Office Equipment
- Width / OD: 0.0059 to 0.0197
- Shape / Form: Fabricated Parts or Shapes (Castings, Forgings, Machined Parts, etc.); Wire
- Length: 0.7874 to 1.97
from Leading Edge Metals & Alloys, Inc.
Offering extremely high initial permeability, HyMu 80 ®1 is a nickel-iron alloy containing molybdenum. Uses include transformer cores, telephony and recording devices. [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors; HV / Electrical
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes (optional feature); Bar Stock (optional feature); Wire (optional feature); Plate (optional feature); Sheet (optional feature)
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Soft Magnetic Alloy
- Thickness: 1.00E-3 to 2
from Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.
Strip, Coil, Foil & Wire, ASTM F-15. APPLICATIONS. Alloy 29-17 (Kovar ®) has been used for making hermetic seals with the harder Pyrex glasses and ceramic materials. This alloy has found wide use in application where high reliability is a necessity. In power tubes, microwave tubes,... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors; HV / Electrical; Hermetic Seals with the Harder Pyrex Glasses and Ceramic Materials, Power Tubes, Microwave Tubes, Transistors, Diodes, Inter-grated Circuits
- Specifications & Grades: ASTM / ASME; UNS
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Controlled / Low Expansion Alloy
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes; Coil Stock; Foil; Wire; Sheet, Strip, Plate; Wire – Profile, Round, Flat, Square; Plate; Strip; Sheet
from Ed Fagan, Inc.
ASTM F-15 Alloy, commonly known as Kovar, is a controlled expansion alloy consisting of 29% Nickel, 17% Cobalt, and balance Iron. Kovar is produced to ensure good properties for machining and deep drawing as well as porosity free product. Its expansion characteristics match both borosilicate (Pyrex)... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors
- Specifications & Grades: AMS; ASTM / ASME; MIL-SPEC / QQS; UNS; F-15, F-1466, Mil-I-23011C Class 1, 7726B, 7727, 7728C
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Controlled / Low Expansion Alloy
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes; Plate (optional feature); Sheet (optional feature)
from Qnnect, formerly Hermetic Solutions Group
Materials may exhibit good corrosive resistance, electrical conductivity, or thermal conductivity, yet lack in the areas of strength, hardness, weld-ability, or wear resistance characteristics required in the final design. Qnnect, formerly Hermetic Solutions Group has helped customers to achieve the... [See More]
- Applications: Bearings or Bearing Quality; Electronics or semiconductors; Marine; Nuclear; Pressure Vessel (PVQ); Wear resistant parts or tooling
- Shape / Form: Fabricated Parts or Shapes (Castings, Forgings, Machined Parts, etc.); Billet / Bloom
- Type: CladBimetal
- Features: Corrosion Resistant
from Ed Fagan, Inc.
ASTM F-15 Alloy, commonly known as Kovar, is a controlled expansion alloy consisting of 29% Nickel, 17% Cobalt, and balance Iron. Kovar is produced to ensure good properties for machining and deep drawing as well as porosity free product. Its expansion characteristics match both borosilicate (Pyrex)... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors
- Specifications & Grades: AMS; ASTM / ASME; MIL-SPEC / QQS; UNS; F-15, F-1466, Mil-I-23011C Class 1, 7726B, 7727, 7728C
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Controlled / Low Expansion Alloy
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes; Wire
from Qnnect, formerly Hermetic Solutions Group
Design engineers are often faced with the dilemma of material selection, and frequently, they find that a combination of materials provides the optimal properties required by the design. Qnnect, formerly Hermetic Solutions Group ’s explosively bonded metals can join otherwise incompatible... [See More]
- Applications: Bearings or Bearing Quality; Electronics or semiconductors; Marine; Nuclear; Pressure Vessel (PVQ); Wear resistant parts or tooling
- Shape / Form: Fabricated Parts or Shapes (Castings, Forgings, Machined Parts, etc.); Billet / Bloom
- Type: CladBimetal
- Features: Corrosion Resistant
from Ed Fagan, Inc.
ASTM F-15 Alloy, commonly known as Kovar, is a controlled expansion alloy consisting of 29% Nickel, 17% Cobalt, and balance Iron. Kovar is produced to ensure good properties for machining and deep drawing as well as porosity free product. Its expansion characteristics match both borosilicate (Pyrex)... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors
- Specifications & Grades: AMS; ASTM / ASME; MIL-SPEC / QQS; UNS; F-15, F-1466, Mil-I-23011C Class 1, 7726B, 7727, 7728C
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Controlled / Low Expansion Alloy
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes; Coil Stock (optional feature); Strip (optional feature)
from Ed Fagan, Inc.
ASTM F-15 Alloy, commonly known as Kovar, is a controlled expansion alloy consisting of 29% Nickel, 17% Cobalt, and balance Iron. Kovar is produced to ensure good properties for machining and deep drawing as well as porosity free product. Its expansion characteristics match both borosilicate (Pyrex)... [See More]
- Applications: Electronics or semiconductors
- Specifications & Grades: AMS; ASTM / ASME; MIL-SPEC / QQS; UNS; F-15, F-1466, Mil-I-23011C Class 1, 7726B, 7727, 7728C
- Type: Miscellaneous Ferrous Alloy; Controlled / Low Expansion Alloy
- Shape / Form: Semi-finished, Mill Stock or Near Net Shapes; Bar Stock; Round Bar or Rod Stock