INDEX

1. Introduction.

2. What is Ceramic Material & their classification?

3. Magnetic property of material and different type of magnetism.

4. Soft and Hard magnetism.

5. Application of ferrite.

6. Future prospect.

7. Reference.

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INTRODUCTION

Magnetic Ceramic Oxide

Among the ceramic oxides, magnetic ceramic oxide lies in the category of Advanced ceramics
material. Among the magnetic ceramics, magnetic oxides are the most important and rather the
only relevant materials from the point of view of their applications. Magnetic oxides which are
commonly known as ferrites are ferrimagnetic in structure as originally proposed by Neel (1948).
The most common magnetic oxides which find wide applications as soft, hard or moderate
ferrites are spinels, garnets and hexaferrites. Ferrites which are crystalline minerals composed of
iron oxide in combination with some other metal. They are given the general chemical formula
M(fexOy) M representing other metallic elements than iron. The most familiar ferrite is
magnetite, a naturally occurring ferrous ferrite ( Fe[Fe2O4],or Fe3O4) commonly known as
lodestone. The magnetic properties of magnetite have been exploited in compasses since ancient
times.
If we want to know about Magnetic properties and applications of Ceramic Oxides, We have
to know about ceramics and its classification. Then we have to understand about Magnetic
property of material and different type of Magnetism. Then different magnetic Ceramic oxide
examples and application.

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 What is ceramic?

A ceramic is an inorganic non-metallic solid made up of either metal or non-metal compounds

that have been shaped and then hardened by heating to high temperatures. In general, they are
hard, corrosion-resistant and brittle. In recent years a wide variety of inorganic, non-metallic
materials has been developed for the electrical, nuclear power, and engineering industries. In the
shaping and processing of these products some form of heat treatment is involved, and they too
are regarded as ceramic materials. Examples are: clay, silica, magnesia, Fluxes, and others
refractory oxides and others are rutile , a form of titanium dioxide used for making ferroelectric
materials; steatite or talc, for electrical insulators; alumina, zirconia, thoria and beryllia as
refractories and electrical insulators, uranium oxide as a nuclear-fuel element, and nitrides and
carbides as abrasives or insulators.

Classification of Ceramic Material

Electronic
Glasses Substrate,
Structural clay Package ceramics
product
Clay Product Capacitor
Dielectric,
Whiteware Piezoelectric
Electro Ceramic Ceramiics
Acidic(silica)
Magnetic
Ceramics
Ceramic
Material Optical Ceramics
Refractory Basic(magnesia)

Advanced Conductive
Ceramic Ceramics
Abrasive Neutral

Bio Ceramics
Cement
Tribological
Advanced Ceramics
Advanced structural
Ceramic ceramics Automotive
Ceramics

Nuclear Ceramics

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 Figure 1. different type of Ceramic Material

What is Magnetic property of material and different type of magnetism?

Magnetism, the phenomenon by which materials assert an attractive or repulsive force or

influence on other materials, has been known for thousands of years. the magnetic phenomenon
are complex and subtle, and their understanding has eluded scientists until relatively recent
times. Many of our modern technological devices rely on magnetism and magnetic materials;
these include electrical power generators and transformers, electric motors, radio, television,
telephones, computers, and components of sound and video reproduction systems. Iron, some
steels, and the naturally occurring mineral lodestone are well-known examples of materials that
exhibit magnetic properties. Not so familiar, however, is the fact that all substances are
influenced to one degree or another by the presence of a magnetic field.

Figure 2. Magnetic moment.

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 The macroscopic magnetic properties of materials are a consequence of magnetic moments
associated with individual electrons. Some of these concepts are relatively complex and involve
some quantum-mechanical principles beyond the scope of this discussion; consequently,
simplifications have been made and some of the details omitted. Each electron in an atom has
magnetic moments that originate from two sources. One is related to its orbital motion around
the nucleus; being a moving charge, an electron may be considered to be a small current loop,
generating a very small magnetic field, and having a magnetic moment along its axis of rotation.
Each electron may also be thought of as spinning around an axis; the other magnetic moment
originates from this electron spin, which is directed along the spin. Spin magnetic moments may
be only in an “up” direction or in an anti-parallel “down” direction. Thus each electron in an
atom may be thought of as being a small magnet having permanent orbital and spin magnetic
moments. In each individual atom, orbital moments of some electron pairs cancel each other; this
also holds for the spin moments. For example, the spin moment of an electron with spin up will
cancel that of one with spin down. The net magnetic moment, then, for an atom is just the sum of
the magnetic moments of each of the constituent electrons, including both orbital and spin
contributions, and taking into account moment cancellation. For an atom having completely
filled electron shells or subshells, when all electrons are considered, there is total cancellation of
both orbital and spin moments. Thus materials composed of atoms having completely filled
electron shells are not capable of being permanently magnetized. This category includes the inert
gases (He, Ne, Ar, etc.) as well as some ionic materials. The types of magnetism include
diamagnetism, paramagnetism, and ferromagnetism; in addition, antiferromagnetism and
ferrimagnetism are considered to be subclasses of ferromagnetism.All materials exhibit at least
one of these types, and the behavior depends on the response of electron and atomic magnetic
dipoles to the application of an externally applied magnetic field.

Classification of magnetism

1. diamagnetism, 2. paramagnetism, 3. ferromagnetism,

Diamagnetism is a very weak form of magnetism that is nonpermanent and persists

only while an external field is being applied. It is induced by a change in the orbital
motion of electrons due to an applied magnetic field. The magnitude of the induced
magnetic moment is extremely small, and in a direction opposite to that of the applied
field. Permeability / susceptibility: μr< 1 , χm < 0 (weak effect) Materials: inert gases, ionic
crystals, semiconductors, Cu, Au, Ag.

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 Figure3. Diamagnetism(magnetic moments, H=0)

For some solid materials, each atom possesses a permanent dipole moment by virtue of
incomplete cancellation of electron spin and/or orbital magnetic moments. In the absence of an
external magnetic field, the orientations of these atomic magnetic moments are random, such that
a piece of material possesses no net macroscopic magnetization. These atomic dipoles are free to
rotate, and paramagnetism results when they preferentially align, by rotation, with an external
field. permeability / susceptibility: μr > 1 , χm > 0 (weak effect) materials: Alkali- and transition
metals, rare earth metals O2, Al, Sn, Pt.

Figure 4. Paramagnetism

Certain metallic materials possess a permanent magnetic moment in the absence of an

external field, and manifest very large and permanent magnetizations. These are the
characteristics of ferromagnetism, and they are displayed by the transition metals iron (as BCC
ferrite), cobalt, nickel, and some of the rare earth metals such as gadolinium (Gd). Magnetic
susceptibilities as high as are possible for ferromagnetic materials. Permanent magnetic moments
in ferromagnetic materials result from atomic magnetic moments due to electron spin—
uncancelled electron spins as a consequence of the electron structure. Spontaneous alignment of
all permanent magnetic dipoles within a domain in the crystal lattice (only metals)

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Ferromagnetic material is one that undergoes a phase transition from a high-temperature phase
that does not have a macroscopic magnetic moment to a low- temperature phase that has a
spontaneous magnetization even in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The macroscopic
magnetization is caused by the magnetic dipole moments of the atoms (which are aligned
randomly in the high-temperature paramagnetic phase tending to line up in the same direction.
The spontaneous magnetization means that ferromagnetic materials tend to concentrate magnetic
flux density (they have a large positive permeability), which leads to their widespread use in
applications such as transformer cores, permanent magnets, and electromagnets, for which large
magnetic fields are required.

Figure 5. Electron spin orientation different types of Ferromagnetism

Figure 6. Ferromagnetism in relation with temperature.

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 There is two type of Ferromagnetism: 1. Antiferromagnetism ( Weak ferromagnetism), 2.
Ferrimagnetism( strong ferromagnetism)

Magnetic moment coupling between adjacent atoms or ions occurs in materials other than those
that are ferromagnetic. In one such group, this coupling results in an antiparallel alignment; the
alignment of the spin moments of neighboring atoms or ions in exactly opposite directions is
termed antiferromagnetism.
Manganese oxide (MnO) is one material that displays this behavior. In this ceramic oxide
material, the opposing magnetic moments cancel one another, and, as a consequence, the
solid as a whole possesses no net magnetic moment.

Some ceramics also exhibit a permanent magnetization, termed ferrimagnetism. The

macroscopic magnetic characteristics of ferromagnets and ferrimagnets are similar. The
distinction lies in the source of the net magnetic moments. The principles of ferrimagnetism are
illustrated with the cubic ferrites.These ionic materials may be represented by the chemical
formula in which M represents any one of several metallic elements. The prototype ferrite is the
mineral magnetite, sometimes called lodestone. the net ferrimagnetic moment arises from the
incomplete cancellation of spin moments. permeability: μr >> 1 , χm > 0 (strong magnetism);
materials: ferrites: spinell type metal oxides (AB2O4).
Any ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic material that is at a temperature below T c is composed of
small-volume regions in which there is a mutual alignment in the same direction of all magnetic
dipole moments, Such a region is called a domain, they are seperated by domain boundaries. The
magnitude of the M field for the entire solid is the vector sum of the magnetizations of all the
domains.
The suitability of ferromagnetic materials for particular applications is determined largely from
characteristics shown by their hysteresis loops. For example- a square-shaped hysteresis loop,
with two stable magnetization states, is suitable for magnetic data storage; a small hysteresis
loop that is easily cycled between states is suitable for a transformer core with a rapidly
switching field direction.
The Influence of Temperature on Magnetic Behavior with rising temperature, increased
thermal vibrations tend to counteract the dipole coupling forces in ferromagnetic and
ferrimagnetic materials. Consequently, the saturation magnetization gradually diminishes with
temperature, up to the Curie temperature, at which point it drops to near zero; above these
materials are paramagnetic.

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 Figure 7. Schematic diagram of domains.

Figure 8. Hysteresis loop material

Soft and Hard Magnetism

All ferromagnetic materials are divided into two broad groups- soft and hard magnetic
materials.
Soft Magnetic Materials: Materials, which have, a steeply rising magnetization curve, relatively
small and narrow hysteresis loop and consequently small energy losses during cyclic
magnetization are called soft magnetic materials. This materials are therefore employed in

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building cores for use in alternating magnetic fields and in which energy losses must be low; one
familiar example consists of transformer cores. a soft magnetic material must have a high initial
permeability and a low coercivity. A material possessing these properties may reach its
saturation magnetization with a relatively low applied field (i.e., is easily magnetized and
demagnetized) and still has low hysteresis energy losses. Examples are nickel-iron alloy and soft
ferrites. Structure :Spinel (Cubic Ferrites) 1 MeO: 1Fe2O3 Me= Ni, Co, Mn, Zn.

Figure 9.Hyterisis loop of soft and hard ferrite material.

Hard Magnetic Materials, which have a gradually rising magnetization curve, large hysteresis
loop area and large energy losses for each cycle of magnetization, are called hard magnetic
materials. In terms of hysteresis behavior, a hard magnetic material has a high remanence,
coercivity, and saturation flux density, as well as a low initial permeability, and high hysteresis
energy losses. Such materials are used for making permanent magnets. Examples are carbon
steel, tungsten steel alnico. Structure: Magneto plumbite ( Hexagonal Ferrites) 1 MeO : 6Fe2O3
MeO= divalent materials BaO, CaO, SrO. Soft and Hard Magnetism Type Industry where used
Composition Soft Magnet Entertainment electronics, Mn, Zn, Fe oxides Radio communication
Ni, Zn, Fe Oxides Military electronics Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe oxides Hard Magnet Permanent motors Ba,
Fe oxides, Sr, Pb.

Magnetic oxides--some relevant properties

The magnetic oxides (spinels, garnets and hexaferrites) by virtue of their structure can
accommodate a variety of cations at different sites enabling a wide variation in properties.
Further variation in synthetic methods can bring about large changes in some extrinsic
properties. A majority of them are high resistivity materials making them more suitable for high
frequency and low loss applications. Besides their resistance to oxidation, which is quite an
advantage over metallic systems, they are also corrosion resistant. Spinels, M 2+ Fe2 3+O4 , which
are cubic with 8 formula units possess two sublattices. If all the M 2+ ions go at the tetrahedral

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and Fe 3+ ions at the octahedral sites, normal spinel is formed. The typical examples are
ZnFe2O4 and CdFe2O4. When half of the Fe 3+ ions go to the tetrahedral site while the rest to the
octahedral site with M 2+ ions, the inverse spinel such as NiFe2 04 or MnFe2 04 is formed.
Garnets are bcc cubic structures with 8 formula units and three sublattices. While Fe 3+ ions
distribute between octahedral and tetrahedral sites in 2:3 ratio, Y3+ ions (or rare earth ions) go to
dodecahedral site. Substituted garnets and ferrites as soft ferrites find numerous applications. ᵧ-
Fe203 (which is also a spinel structure) has been widely used as magnetic recording material.
Among hexaferrites, M-type and W-type are the most common because of their easy formation
and wide applications. Besides, X,Y and Z type hexaferrites are also known . These are
hexagonal crystal structures with a fairly large crystal anisotropy formed by superposition of R,
S or T blocks. For example, when successive R blocks are interspaced by S blocks, a M-type
ferrite is formed, while when successive R blocks are interspaced by two S blocks, a W-type
ferrite is formed. T blocks are required in the formation of Y or Z-type hexaferrites. Hexaferrites
have been commonly applied as permanent magnets. Recently, they have also been exploited as
recording materials.
Applications of ferrites
Ferrites are mainly classified into three categories based on their coercivity. Generally, most
of the hard ferrites applications can be envisaged when the coercivity is > 1.5 K Oe. The Hc of
moderate ferrites lie within the range of 100 Oe and 1.5 KOe when most of the recording
applications are feasible. For the soft ferrites, H~ has to be very low (< 10 Oe). Soft ferrites can
be further classified into two categories based on the low and high frequency applications.

Figure 10. different types of ferrite material.

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Soft ferrites
For the low and high frequency applications, the most important technical properties are Ms,
Hc,miui and losses. It is generally not possible to obtain the best combination of these properties
for any specific application. By varying the composition or adding additives or by varying the
preparation technique, one can, to a large extent, control most parameters required for any
particular application. Some of the other low frequency applications of soft ferrites include
magnetic recording heads, inductor and transformer cores, filter cores, magnetostrictive
vibrators. Amongst the ferrites, hot pressed and single crystal Mn-Zn and Ni-Zn ferrites are
found quite suitable for this purpose. High frequency applications include large number of
microwave components such as circulators, isolators, gyrators, phase shifters, YIG tuned filters,
switches and substrates for microwave integrated circuits. The materials which are generally
known to be suitable for the above applications are substituted yttrium iron garnets such as YA
IIG, YGdIG, YAIGdIG and spinel ferrites such as Ni-Zn, Mg-Zn and Mg-Mn ferrites.

Figure 11. Different types of soft ferrite material.

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 Figure 12. Wide range of applications of ferrites

Hard ferrites
Magnetic hardness is due to fine particles having shape and crystalline anisotropy. A large
crystalline anisotropy is characteristic of hexaferrites. Hence, a large coercivity is almost an inherent
property of hexaferrite and other than that it is oxidation and corrosion-resistant. Its temperature
stability is good and cheapest among all the hard magnets. it finds wide applications in motors,
generators, loudspeakers, telephones, meter switches, magnetic separators, toys, flexible and rubber
magnets, magnetic latch and magnetic levitation.

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 Figure 13. Modern day use of magnetic ceramic material.

Engineering for Ferromagnets

FM-C-FM Structure (GMR)

Ferromagnet-Conductor-Ferromagnet Structure
The resistance of the conductor varies by FMs
Applications: Hard disk, MRAM, Magnetic sensors;

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FM-I-FM Structure (TMR)
Ferromagnet-Insulator- Ferromagnet Structure, The tunneling current through insulator varies by FMs.
It has larger MR ratio than GMR.
Applications: MRAM,
FM-S-FM Structure
Ferromagnet-Semiconductor-Ferromagnet
Applications: Spin FET, LED.
SCM (Storage Class Memory) Previous technology- Memory (fast, expensive, volatile) Storage
(slow, cheap, non-volatile) By Storage Class Memory- <200nsec (<1µ µµ µsec) Read/Write/Erase
time >100,000 Read I/O operations per second Lifetime of 108 – 1012 write/erase cycles 10x
lower power than enterprise HDD No more than 3-5x the Cost of enterprise HDD (< $1 per GB in
2012)

Figure 14.

Future Prospects

The raw materials required for the production of ferrite in India is now easily available. A good
scientific base and infrastructure is already established and trained manpower, which is more
economical than many European countries, is available. The incentives provided by the Government
for export of ferrites components along with the above mentioned advantages put India into a situation
where it can be a major producer and exporter of ferrite products. Indian companies as well as a few
multinational companies have recognized these advantages and planning to increase /setup new
capacities for the production of ferrites. It is estimated that by the year 2000AD India will have
capability to produce 10,000 MT of soft-ferrite and 18,000 MT of hard ferrite and may emerge as an
important player in the ferrite sector. After meeting the internal demand, it is estimated that India shall

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be able to export 6000 MT of Hard Ferrites and about 3000 MT Soft Ferrites by the turn of this
century.

References
1. Book: Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction; William D. Callister, Jr.
2. Book: Fundamentals of Ceramics; M W Barsoum.
3. Book: Modern Ceramic Engineering; David W. Richardson.
4. Storage Class Memory, Technology and Use; IBM Almaden Research Center. 2008.
6. Multiferroics: different ways to combine magnetism and ferroelectricity, D. Khomskii, Cologne
University, Germany. 2006 .
7. Feature Article: Why Are There so Few Magnetic Ferroelectrics? Nicola A. Hill, University of
California. 2000.
8. Current trends in applications of magnetic ceramic materials, D bahadur. Oct 1992.

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