High efficiency, low cost , high-temperature nanocomposite soft magnetic materials for vehicle power electronics

Opportunities exist to use high pressure gas atomization (HPGA) to replace current melt-spinning for making soft magnetic nanocomposite alloy powders containing high moment -CoFe phase. The key to this development is to design advanced soft nanocomposite materials for small, lightweight vehicle power electronics, by using an innovative low cost HPGA approach to obtain high induction, high temperature soft magnetic nanocomposite materials that have low magnetostrictive coefficients and eddy current, and high operating temperatures over conventional ones. The proposed project will (1) develop high permeability, large induction, low-loss (hysteretic/eddy current) soft magnetic nanocomposite materials containing high moment -CoFe, which are capable of operating at high temperatures; and (2) improve mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of these materials with weight reduction and magnetic performance enhancement at higher operating temperatures as a result of reduction in powder size, which can be achieved by lowering the annealing temperature for the crystallization process, because mixtures of amorphous and nanocrystalline powders can be directly obtained by HPGA compared to conventional melt-spinning, which forms amorphous ribbons. In this Phase I study, Aegis Technology will team with Prof. Anderson of Ames National Laboratory, to develop an innovative class of advanced soft CoFe-based nanocomposite materials. We will further demonstrate an innovative low cost approach (25-30% reduction compared to melt-spinning) in order to produce high permeability, large induction, and low-loss (hysteretic/eddy current) soft magnetic nanocomposite materials with high operating temperatures. The Phase I research will cover material design, processing development, chracterization and prototyping, with an aim to identify the underlying technical issues involved with the fabrication and performance of this novel class of soft magnetic nanocomposites. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The successful development of the high permeability, high induction soft magnetic nanocomposite materials with low-loss (hysteretic/eddy current) and high operating temperatures will enable the production of high-efficiency small/lightweight inductors. This proposed soft magnetic nanocomposites will lay the foundation for the next- generation of small/lightweight inductors that would have much improved magnetic performance in both permeability and application temperatures with low current losses. Applications for these new magnets are expected for use in electric drive vehicles, aircraft, space vehicles, and weapons power systems. Higher operating temperature soft magnetic nanocomposite materials will enable simpler, lightweight, and more efficient designs for many commercial and military applications.