COMPOSITE MAGNETIC MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20110024670A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TOHO ZINC Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TOHO ZINC Company Limited
• Inventors: KANEDA, Ayako, OTSUKI, Etsuo
• Application Number:
  US12/903,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20110024670A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/62.54
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/08 Metallic powder characterised by particles having an amorphous microstructure
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/10 Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/02 Compacting only
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/10 Sintering only
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/26 Impregnating making ferrous alloys by impregnation C22C33/0242
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 2202/02 Magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/15333 containing nanocrystallites, e.g. obtained by annealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/15375 using polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/26 by macromolecular organic substances
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/0246 Manufacturing of magnetic circuits by moulding or by pressing powder magnetic cores made by moulding or by pressing powder H01F27/255; soft magnetic particles H01F1/20, H01F1/36

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide a composite magnetic material for an inductor, wherein a non-magnetic material contains a first binder as a compacting additive, and is added to and mixed with the soft magnetic metal powder, and a second binder that is impregnated to a compact as a binder after the heat treatment of the compact obtained by adding the first binder to the soft magnetic metal powder and compacting it, and the soft magnetic metal powder contains 40% by mass or more (including 100%) of spherical particles of which the ratio L2/L1 between a perimeter L1 of a particle cross-section in the two dimensional plane view and a perimeter L2 of a circle having equivalent cross-sectional area is 0.5 or more.

Claims

1. A composite magnetic material for an inductor, in which a soft magnetic metal powder is bonded with a non-magnetic material, wherein

the non-magnetic material comprises a first binder comprising an organic resin which is added to and mixed with the soft magnetic metal powder, as a compacting additive, and a second binder that is impregnated into a compact, which is obtained by compacting the soft magnetic metal powder added with the first binder as a binder, after heat treatment of the compact, and is heat-cured;

the organic resin comprises one or two or more selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), methyl cellulose (MC), water-soluble acrylic binder (AC), paraffin, glycerin and polyethylene glycol, and has granulatability, compactibility, shape retainability and thermal decomposability, and

the soft magnetic metal powder contains 40% by the so mass or more (including 100%) of spherical particles which the ratio L₂/L₁ between a perimeter L₁ of a particle cross-section in the two dimensional plane view and a perimeter L₂ of a circle having equivalent cross-sectional area is 0.5 or more.

2. The composite magnetic material according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic metal powder contains amorphous particles obtained using a water atomization method or a gas atomization method.

3. The composite magnetic material according claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic metal powder contains amorphous particles obtained by mechanical pulverization of a ribbon or lump amorphous material.

4. The composite magnetic material according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic metal powder consists of microcrystalline particles obtained using a water atomization method or a gas atomization method, or microcrystalline particles obtained by mechanical pulverization of ribbon or lump amorphous material.

5. The composite magnetic material according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic metal powder consists of crystalline particles obtained by mechanical pulverization of a lump alloy.

6. The composite magnetic material according to claim 5, wherein the crystalline particle contains 3% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less of Si, and the balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities.

7. The composite magnetic material according claim 6, wherein the crystalline particle further contains 6% by mass or less excluding 0%) of Al, and the balance consisting of Fe, Si and inevitable impurities.

19. The method according to claim 5, wherein in step (d), the compact is placed under an atmosphere of reduced pressure that is a lower pressure than atmospheric pressure, and the compact is vacuum-impregnated with the second binder.

8. A method of producing a composite magnetic material for an inductor, in which a soft magnetic metal powder is bonded with a non-magnetic material, comprising:

(a) preparing a soft magnetic metal powder that contains 40% by mass or more (including 100%) of spherical particles of which the ratio L₂/L₁ between perimeter L₁ of a particle cross-section in the two dimensional plane view and a perimeter L₂ of a circle having equivalent cross-sectional area is 0.5 or more, and mixing the soft magnetic metal powder with first binder as a compacting additive in a predetermined ratio, comprising one or two or more organic resins selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), methyl cellulose (MC), water-soluble acrylic binder (AC), paraffin, glycerin and polyethylene glycol, wherein the organic resin has granulatability, compactibility, shape retainability and thermal degradability;

(b) compacting the mixture obtained in step (a) into a desired shape;

(c) heat-treating the compact obtained in step (b) under predetermined conditions, and heat-degrading the organic resin to form voids between the particles of the soft magnetic metal powder; and

(d) impregnating the compact after the heat treatment with a second binder comprising one or two or more selected from the group consisting of a silicone resin, an organic resin and a water glass under predetermined conditions, whereby filling the voids formed in step (c) with the second binder, and then heating the compact to cure the second binder.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first binder comprises the organic resin and the silicone resin that are thermally decomposed in step (c) and comprises 20% by mass or more and 100% or less (including 100%) of the organic resin and 80% by mass or less (including 0%) of the silicone resin.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first binder comprises the organic resin that is thermally decomposed in step (c) and a ceramic comprises 30% by mass or more and 100% or less (including 100%) of the organic resin and 70% by mass or less (including 0%) of the ceramic.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (a), the first binder, which is soluble in an organic solvent or water, the soft magnetic metal powder are weighed respectively, and the two are wet-mixed, and then dried and granulated.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (a), a silicone resin and the soft magnetic metal powder are weighed respectively, and the two are wet-mixed, dried, and then a water-soluble organic resin as the organic resin is weighed, the weighed water-soluble organic resin is wet-mixed with mixed powders of the soft magnetic metal powder and the silicone resin, then dried and granulated.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (a), a silicone resin and the soft magnetic metal powder are weighed respectively, and the two are wet-mixed, dried, and then a thermoplastic resin as the organic resin is weighed, and the weighed thermoplastic resin is heat-mixed with mixed powders of the sort magnetic metal powder and the silicone resin, and granulated.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (a), a ceramic and the soft magnetic metal powder are weighed respectively, wet-mixed using water as a dispersion media, dried, and the mixture is further wet-mixed with the organic resin, which is soluble in an organic solvent, dried and granulated.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (a), a ceramic and the soft magnetic metal powder are weigh respectively, and wet-mixed using water as a dispersion media, dried, and then a thermoplastic resin as the organic resin is weighed, and the weighed thermoplastic resin is neat-mixed with mixed powders of the soft magnetic metal powder and the ceramic, and granulated.

16. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (c), a temperature of the heat treatment is equal to or less than the crystallization temperature of the amorphous particles.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (c), an atmosphere in the heat treatment is non-oxidative atmosphere.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second binder has a molecular structure of a single substance.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step (d), the compact is placed under an atmosphere of atmospheric pressure, or pressurized atmosphere that is a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure, and the compact is impregnated with the second binder.