Nanocrystalline cores combine low core loss and high permeability with the thermal stability needed for compact, high-performance designs. The materials provide significant advantages over conventional soft magnetic materials in many high-frequency, high-efficiency applications.
Nanocrystalline cores are an optimal choice for applications such as common mode chokes and current transformers as they exhibit high permeability, low power loss, and high saturation. With stable magnetic properties and efficient heat control, nanocrystalline excels in EMI suppression, current sensing, UPS systems, EV charging, and power line input and output filters, making them exceptionally effective in components like common mode chokes, current transformers, and magnetic amplifiers (magamps). Nanocrystalline cores can also be used in switched-mode power supplies (SMPS), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), solar inverters, frequency converters, EMC filters, EV chargers, and automotive and welding applications.
Advantages of Nanocrystalline Cores:
Nanocrystalline material is produced by heat treating specially doped amorphous ribbon to grow nano-sized crystalline grains – 10 to 30 nm in size – which fundamentally improves the magnetic response. The resulting microstructure delivers high-permeability grains separated by higher-resistivity material, simultaneously reducing eddy current and hysteresis losses beyond what is achievable with conventional soft magnetic materials.
Key advantages include:
- Reduced core losses and higher permeability lead to superior efficiency in magnetic components.
- High reliability because of its stable performance over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures.
- Reduced material usage and energy savings.
- Can be configured for toroid, cut core and busbar geometries.
Applications Include:
- Common mode chokes (CMC): Due to nanocrystalline’s high permeability, common mode chokes can be smaller in size, lighter in weight, and handle higher current.
- Automotive and EV applications: Nanocrystalline cores in common-mode chokes for EMI filtering and high-frequency noise reduction in traction inverters, on-board chargers, and EV charging stations.
- Magnetic amplifiers (mag amps): Square BH loop anneal options enable sharp transitions from high to low impedance for pulse compression and switching functions.
- Current transformers (CT): Saturation induction of 1.25T and a wide temperature range mean that current transformers made with nanocrystalline cores are less vulnerable to current imbalance and loss of performance at high temperature.
- Renewable energy systems: Solar inverters and frequency converters, benefiting from improved energy conversion efficiency.
- Power electronics: Transformers, inductors, and current sensors because of their high efficiency and low core losses.
Materials:
We utilize a variety of nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials such as VITROPERM® 800 and FINEMET® to meet your custom specifications. These materials provide different advantages based on the core application and requirements.
VITROPERM® is a registered trademark of VACUUMSCHMELZE GmbH & Co. KG
FINEMET® is a registered trademark of Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
Typical Applications:
- Common mode chokes (CMC)
- Current transformers (CT)
- Magnetic amplifiers (mag amps)
