Patent Grant
7371271
The present invention relates to a composite soft magnetic sintered material having high density and high magnetic permeability, and a method of producing the same.
Soft magnetic sintered materials are used in magnetic cores for such devices as low-loss yoke, transformer and choke coil used in motors, actuators or the like. And it is known that the soft magnetic sintered materials can be obtained by sintering a soft magnetic metal powder such as:
However, although the soft magnetic sintered metals have high saturation magnetic flux densities, they are inferior in high frequency characteristics. The soft magnetic sintered metal oxides that are made by sintering powder of a metal oxide such as ferrite having a spinel structure, on the other hand, have good high frequency characteristics and relatively high initial magnetic permeability, but have low saturation magnetic flux densities. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a composite soft magnetic sintered material has been proposed that is obtained by sintering a composite soft magnetic powder formed from a soft magnetic metal powder of which particles are coated with layers of ferrite having a spinel structure on the surface thereof (refer to Unexamined Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. Sho 56-38402).
However, in the composite soft magnetic sintered material that is obtained by sintering the composite soft magnetic powder formed from the soft magnetic metal powder of which particles are coated with layers of ferrite having a spinel structure on the surface thereof, the ferrite layer having a spinel structure is made of an oxide and it is therefore difficult to sinter, thus resulting in a problem that the composite soft magnetic sintered material that has a sufficient density cannot be obtained. Thus there is a demand for a composite soft magnetic sintered material having further improved magnetic characteristics.
The present inventors have intensively studied the problem described above and found the following:
The present invention has been completed on the basis of the findings obtained from the research described above, and is characterized by the following features:
The iron powder, Fe—Si based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Si—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Cr based soft magnetic iron alloy powder or nickel-based soft magnetic alloy powder used in the method of producing the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability is a soft magnetic alloy powder that has been known to the public, for which the soft magnetic metal powder such as iron powder, Fe—Si based soft magnetic iron alloy powder containing 0.1 to 10% by weight of Si with the rest consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, Fe—Si—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder containing 0.1 to 10% by weight of Si and 0.1 to 20% by weight of Al with the rest consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, Fe—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder containing 0.1 to 20% by weight of Al with the rest consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, Fe—Cr based soft magnetic iron alloy powder containing 1 to 20% by weight of Cr and, as required, one or two of 5% or less Al and 5% or less Si with the rest consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities; or nickel-based soft magnetic alloy powder containing 35 to 85% of Ni and, as required, one or more of 5% or less Mo, 5% or less Cu, 2% or less Cr and 0.5% or less Mn with the rest consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities, that has been described in conjunction with the prior art may be used.
Therefore, the iron particles, Fe—Si based soft magnetic iron alloy particles, Fe—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy particles, Fe—Si—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy particles, Fe—Cr based soft magnetic iron alloy particles or nickel-based soft magnetic alloy particles included in the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability are made of the soft magnetic metal particles of the same composition as that of the soft magnetic metal powder described above, and the ferrite phase having a spinel structure that covers the soft magnetic metal particles and separates the particles is a ferrite phase represented by the general formula (MeFe)3O4 (where Me represents Mn, Zn, Ni, Mg, Cu, Fe or Co, or a mixture of some of these elements).
The iron powder, Fe—Si based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Si—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Cr based soft magnetic iron alloy powder or nickel-based soft magnetic alloy powder, of which particles are coated with layers of ferrite having a spinel structure on the surface thereof, that are used as the feed stock powder in producing the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability can be made by forming the ferrite layer by a chemical plating process, high-speed impact agitation coating process or binder coating process.
The composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability can be produced by any of the methods (4) to (9) described above using the composite soft magnetic powder made as described above.
The compression molding process and the high-pressure molding process employed in the methods of (4), (6) and (8) described above are different only in the molding pressure. The high-pressure molding process molds powder with a pressure higher than in the ordinary compression molding process, and has the merit that the compressed body made by the high-pressure molding process can be sintered at a somewhat lower temperature.
The term “sintering” used in the method of producing the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability includes liquid phase sintering as well as solid phase sintering. Therefore, sintering carried out in the methods of (4), (6) and (8) described above includes liquid phase sintering as well as solid phase sintering.
The reason for limiting the mean powder particle size of the silicon dioxide powder included in the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the present invention having high density and high magnetic permeability to 100 nm or less is that the effect of improving the sintering characteristic decreases and the relative magnetic permeability decreases when the mean powder particle size of the silicon dioxide powder is larger than 100 nm. The lower limit of the mean powder particle size of the silicon dioxide powder is preferably 1 nm or larger for reasons of the production cost.
The reason for setting the content of the silicon dioxide powder of a mean powder particle size within 100 nm to 0.05% by weight or more is that the sintering characteristics are not significantly affected and relative magnetic permeability decreases when less than 0.05% by weight of the silicon dioxide powder of a mean powder particle size within 100 nm is included, while the content exceeding 1.0% by weight has undesirable effects such as increasing the proportion of nonmagnetic phase and decreasing the relative magnetic permeability. The content of the silicon dioxide powder is most preferably in a range from 0.1 to 0.5% by weight.
An alloy material was melted by induction melting, with the resultant molten metal being subjected to water atomization so as to make an atomized powder, and the atomized powder was classified to prepare atomized feed stock powder. The atomized feed stock powder was classified further with an air classifier thereby to make a soft magnetic powder such as pure iron powder, Fe—Si based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Si—Al based soft magnetic iron alloy powder, Fe—Cr based soft magnetic iron alloy powder and nickel-based soft magnetic alloy powder that had compositions and a mean powder particle sizes shown in Tables 1 and 2 (hereinafter these soft magnetic powders are referred to as soft magnetic metal powder). These soft magnetic metal powders were immersed in ion exchange water, stirred well and were fully deoxidized with nitrogen.
Aqueous solutions of metal chlorides having the oxide composition shown in Tables 1 and 2 were prepared by dissolving metal chlorides (MCl2, where M represents Fe, Ni, Zn, Cu, Mn or Mg) in ion exchange water that bad been fully deoxidized with nitrogen. The aqueous solutions of metal chlorides were gently poured onto the soft magnetic metal powders, and the pH value was adjusted to 7.0 by means of an aqueous solution of NaOH. This mixed liquid was held at a constant temperature of 70° C., and was stirred mildly while blowing air therein for a period of 0.3 to 3 hours, thereby to form a ferrite coating layer on the surfaces of the particles of the soft magnetic metal powder. Then the soft magnetic metal powder coated with ferrite layer was filtered, washed in water and dried thereby to obtain the composite soft magnetic powder.
SiO2 powder having the mean powder particle size shown in Tables 1 and 2 was mixed in the composite soft magnetic powder obtained as described above, with the mixture being pressed with a pressure of 6 tons/cm2 to mold ring-shaped green compacts measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The ring-shaped green compact was sintered in an inert gas atmosphere with a controlled partial pressure of oxygen at temperature from 600 to 1200° C., thereby making composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 1 to 16, comparative composite soft magnetic sintered materials 1 to 3 and composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art, all having a ring shape. SEM observation of the structures of ring-shaped sintered bodies showed SiO2 powder dispersed in the ferrite phase in all the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 1 to 16 and the comparative composite soft magnetic sintered materials 1 to 3. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 1 to 16, the comparative composite soft magnetic sintered materials 1 to 3 and the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art, with the results shown in Tables 3 and 4. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured at frequencies shown in Tables 3 and 4 with an impedance analyzer on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 1 to 16, the comparative composite soft magnetic sintered materials 1 to 3 and the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art, with the results shown in Tables 3 and 4.
From the results shown in Tables 1 to 4, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 1 to 16, that were made by compression molding and sintering of the mixture of composite soft magnetic powder consisting of soft magnetic metal powder coated with layers of ferrite having a spinel structure on the surface thereof and 0.05 to 1.0% by weight of SiO2 powder, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies, although the comparative composite soft magnetic sintered materials of 1 to 3 are inferior in at least one of density and relative magnetic permeability.
Molten metal was subjected to water atomization so as to make atomized powder, and the atomized powder was classified to prepare atomized feed stock powder. The atomized feed stock powder was classified further with an air classifier thereby to make the soft magnetic metal powders having compositions and the mean powder particle sizes shown in Tables 5. These soft magnetic metal powders were immersed in ion exchange water, stirred well and were fully deoxidized with nitrogen.
Aqueous solutions of metal chlorides having the oxide compositions shown in Tables 5 were prepared by dissolving metal chlorides (MCl2, where M represents Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn or Mg) in ion exchange water that had been fully deoxidized with nitrogen. The aqueous solutions of metal chlorides were gently poured onto the soft magnetic metal powders, with the pH value thereof being adjusted to 7.0 by means of an aqueous solution of NaOH. This mixed liquid was held at a constant temperature of 70° C., and was stirred mildly while blowing air therein for a period of 0.3 to 3 hours, thereby to form a ferrite coating layer on the surfaces of the particles of the soft magnetic metal powder. Then the soft magnetic metal powder coated with the ferrite coating layer was filtered, washed in water and dried thereby to obtain composite soft magnetic powders A to G having ferrite coating layer formed on the particles thereof shown as in Table 5.
The composite soft magnetic powders A to G obtained as described above were mixed in the proportions shown in Tables 6 and 7 and were pressed with a pressure of 6 tons/cm2 to mold a ring-shaped green compacts measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The ring-shaped green compacts were sintered in an inert gas atmosphere with controlled partial pressure of oxygen at temperature from 600 to 1200° C., thereby making composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 17 to 30 and the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the prior art 1 to 7, all having a ring shape. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 17 to 30 and the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the prior art 1 to 7, with the results shown in Tables 6 and 7. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at the frequencies shown in Tables 6 and 7 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 17 to 30, and the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7, with the results shown in Tables 6 and 7.
From the results shown in Tables 5 to 7, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 17 to 30, that were made by mixing and sintering the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powders coated with ferrite coating layers of a different composition and having a spinel structure on the surface thereof, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
The composite soft magnetic powders A to G made in Example 2 were mixed further with SiO2 powder in the proportions shown in Table 8 and were pressed with pressure of 6 tons/cm2 to mold a ring-shaped green compacts measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The ring-shaped green compacts were sintered in an inert gas atmosphere with a controlled partial pressure of oxygen at a temperature from 600 to 1200° C., thereby making the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 31 to 36. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 31 to 36, with the results shown in Table 8. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at the frequencies shown in Table 8 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 31 to 36, with the results shown in Table 8.
It can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 31 to 36 shown in Table 8, that were made by mixing the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powder coated with the ferrite coating layer having a spinel structure and a different composition on the surfaces of the particles thereof with SiO2 powder in the proportions shown in Table 8 and sintering the mixture, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 that were made in Example 2 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
The soft magnetic metal powder shown in Table 9 and ferrite powder were mixed in proportions of soft magnetic metal powder: ferrite powder=98:2. The mixed powder was processed for two minutes in a high-speed impact mixer with an impeller rotating at a speed of 6000 rpm, thereby making the composite soft magnetic powders AS, BS, CS, DS, ES, FS and GS having a ferrite coating layer on the particles thereof shown in Table 9.
A SiO2 powder having a mean powder particle size of 50 nm was mixed with the composite soft magnetic powders AB, BB, CB, DB, EB, FB and GB obtained as described above in the proportions shown in Table 14, with the mixted power being subjected to high-pressure of 2 tons/cm2 at 8000C so as to mold the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 37 to 43 having a ring shape measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. TEM Auger electron spectrometer (AES) observation of the structures of ring-shaped sintered bodies showed 5i02 powder dispersed in the ferrite phase in all the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 37 to 43. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 37 to 43, with the results shown in Table 10. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at the frequencies shown in Table 10 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 37 to 43, with the results shown in Table 10.
From the results shown in Tables 9 and 10, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 37 to 43, that were made by mixing 0.05 to 1.0% by weight of SiO2 powder with the composite soft magnetic powders AS, BS, CS, DS, ES, FS and GS consisting of the soft magnetic metal powder of which particles are coated with a ferrite layer having a spinel structure by a high-speed impact stirring coating method and processing the mixture by a hot pressing process, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
The composite soft magnetic powders AS, BS, CS, DS, ES, FS and GS shown in Table 9 made in Example 4 were mixed in the proportions shown in Table 11. The mixed powders were hot-pressed with a pressure of 2 tons/cm2 at 800° C. so as to make the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 44 to 53 having a ring shape measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 44 to 53, with the results shown in Table 11. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at the frequencies shown in Table 11 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 44 to 53, with the results shown in Table 11.
From the results shown in Table 11, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 44 to 53, that were made by mixing the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powders of which particles are coated with ferrite layer of a different composition having a spinel structure and sintering the mixed powder, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
Two or more kinds of the composite soft magnetic powders AS to GS shown in table 9 made in Example 4 were mixed and the mixture was further mixed with SiO2 powder having a mean powder particle size of 50 nm in the proportions shown in Table 12. The mixtures were hot-pressed with a pressure of 2 tons/cm2 at 800° C. so as to make composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 54 to 59 having a ring shape measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 54 to 59, with the results shown in Table 12. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at the frequencies shown in Table 12 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 54 to 59, with the results shown in Table 12.
It can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 54 to 59 shown in Table 12, that were made by mixing the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powder of which particles were coated with ferrite layer having a spinel structure of a different composition with SiO2 powder in the proportions shown in Table 12 and sintering the mixed powder, have a higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 that were made in Example 2 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
The soft magnetic metal powders having the compositions shown in Table 13 were charged into a rolling agitation granulating apparatus to which 200 ml of polyvinyl alcohol solution 3% in concentration and ferrite powder in a proportion of 2% by weight to the soft magnetic metal powder were added so as to mix for 30 minutes while running the apparatus at a speed of 1000 rpm, thereby making composite soft magnetic powders AB, BB, CB, DB, EB, FB and GB shown in Table 13 by a binder coating process.
A SiO2 powder having a mean powder particle size of 50 nm was mixed with the composite soft magnetic powders AB, BB, CB, DB, EB, FB and GB obtained as described above in the proportions shown in Table 14, with the mixed powder being subjected to high-pressure molding with a pressure of 10 tons/cm2 so as to mold ring-shaped green compacts measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The ring-shaped green compacts were sintered at a temperature from 500 to 1200° C., thereby making the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 60 to 66 having a ring shape. Auger electron spectrometer (AES) observation of the structures of the ring-shaped sintered bodies thus obtained showed 5i02 powder dispersed in the ferrite phase in all the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 60 to 66. Results of analysis of the SiO2 included in the grain boundary of the composite soft magnetic sintered material 61, in particular, with a surface analysis apparatus (Auger electron analyzer (AES), product name Physical Electronics 670xi produced by Perkin Elmer) are shown in
From the results shown in Tables 13 and 14, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 60 to 66, that were made by mixing 0.05 to 1.0% by weight of SiO2 powder with the composite soft magnetic powders AB, BB, CB, DB, EB, FB and GB consisting of the soft magnetic metal powders of which particles were coated with ferrite layer having a spinel structure by a binder coating method and hot pressing the mixed powder, have a higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
The composite soft magnetic powders AB, BB, CB, DB, EB, FB and GB shown in Table 13 made in Example 7 were mixed in proportions shown in Table 15. The mixed powders were subjected to high-pressure molding with a pressure of 10 tons/cm2 so as to make composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 67 to 76 having a ring shape measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 67 to 76, with the results shown in Table 15. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at frequencies shown in Table 15 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 67 to 76, with the results shown in Table 15.
From the results shown in Tables 15, it can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 67 to 76, that were made by mixing the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powders of which particles were coated with layers of ferrite having a spinel structure of a different composition and sintering the mixed powder, have higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7, and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
Two or more kinds of the composite soft magnetic powders AB to GB shown in Table 13 made in Example 7 were mixed and the mixture was further mixed with SiO2 powder having a mean powder particle size of 50 nm in proportion shown in Table 16. The mixed powder was hot-pressed with a pressure of 2 tons/cm2 at 800° C. so as to make composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 77 to 82 having a ring shape measuring 35 mm in outer diameter, 25 mm in inner diameter and 5 mm in height. The relative density was measured on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 77 to 82, with the results shown in Table 16. The relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies was measured with an impedance analyzer at frequencies shown in Table 16 on the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 77 to 82, with the results shown in Table 16.
It can be seen that the composite soft magnetic sintered materials of the present invention 77 to 82, that were made by mixing the composite soft magnetic powders consisting of the soft magnetic metal powder of which particles were coated with ferrite layer having a spinel structure of a different composition with SiO2 powder in proportion shown in Table 16 and sintering the mixed powder, have a higher density than the composite soft magnetic sintered material of the prior art 1 to 7 shown in Table 7 that were made in Example 2 and excellent relative magnetic permeability at high frequencies.
As will be understood from the foregoing detailed description, the present invention provides the composite soft magnetic sintered material having high industrial applicability, offering remarkable effects in the electrical and electronics industries.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-103457 | Apr 2001 | JP | national |
| 2001-221064 | Jul 2001 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP02/03201 | 3/29/2002 | WO | 00 | 4/6/2004 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO02/081129 | 10/17/2002 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040161600 A1 | Aug 2004 | US |
