Current Status and Future Development of Soft Magnetic Materials: Ferrites and Metal Powder Cores

I. Industry Overview

1. Soft Ferrite Materials

Material Systems: Dominated by three main systems: Mn-Zn series (operating frequency ≤1 MHz, offering high initial permeability μi and low cost), Ni-Zn series (1–100 MHz, characterized by high resistivity), and Mg-Zn series (≤30 MHz, serving as a low-cost alternative). In 2024, national production reached approximately 380,000 tons, accounting for 68% of global output.

Application Distribution: Communications and server power supplies (32%), onboard chargers and OBCs (18%), LED drivers and home appliances (15%), PV microinverters (10%), among others.

Technical Status: The mainstream manufacturing process remains oxide mixing-spray granulation-atmosphere sintering, with an average grain size of 5–15 μm. The core loss of low-loss materials like PC90/PC95 under conditions of 100 kHz and 200 mT has been reduced to 280 kW/m³. However, a performance gap of about 15% still exists compared to Japanese TDK's PC47E material.

2. Metal Magnetic Powder Cores

Market Scale: Domestic demand reached 173,000 tons in 2024, with a market size of approximately RMB 6.4 billion. Four main series—Fe-Si-Al (Sendust), Fe-Si, Fe-Ni, and Fe-Si-Cr—collectively account for 92% of the market.

Application Structure: Primarily used in PV string inverter Boost inductors (35%), new energy vehicle DC-DC converters and PDUs (22%), energy storage converter PCS (13%), and server power supply PSUs (11%).

Performance Level: Sendust powder cores have an effective permeability μe ranging from 90–160, exhibit core losses of 250–350 kW/m³ at 100 kHz, and demonstrate an inductance retention rate of about 65% under a DC bias of 100 Oe. The new generation of low-loss Fe-Si-Cr-Nb series powder cores can further reduce losses by 20%, but mass production consistency still needs improvement.

3. Material System Comparison

Soft Ferrites: Feature low raw material cost, mature processes, and high automation levels. However, they suffer from low saturation flux density Bs (0.35–0.5 T) and significant increases in core loss at high temperatures (>100 °C).

Metal Powder Cores: Offer high Bs (0.8–1.6 T) and excellent high-temperature characteristics. The influence of DC bias can be suppressed by introducing an air gap. Disadvantages include a narrow process window for insulation coating-pressing-annealing, costs 30–50% higher than soft ferrites, and the need for surface coating protection to inhibit oxidation.

4. Key Performance Data Comparison (2024)

5. Technology Development Roadmap (2025-2030)

6. Segment Market Growth Forecast (2024-2030 CAGR)

7. Development Trend Summary

• Soft ferrite materials continue to consolidate their dominance in mainstream applications below 1 MHz through low-temperature sintering and high-frequency loss optimization technologies. Achieving 180°C automotive-grade temperature resistance is a key breakthrough point.
  
• Metal powder cores are rapidly expanding in high-frequency, high-power scenarios like new energy and AI computing, leveraging their high saturation flux density and excellent anti-bias characteristics, with application boundaries extending into the 3 MHz frequency band.
  
• Post-2027, hybrid magnetic circuit technology will lead the transformation: collaborative designs where ferrites handle AC flux and metal powder cores manage DC bias can reduce magnetic component volume by 30%. Mastering mass production technology first will grant control over defining the next generation of products.
  

II. Key Technology Directions for the Next Five Years

• High-Frequency Performance Optimization: Focus in ferrites on developing Ni-Zn materials for 3-5 MHz (μi=200-400, tanδ/μi<10×10⁻⁶) and='' enhanced='' mn-zn='' materials='' permeability='' retention=''>70% at 100kHz, >150°C).
  
• Automotive-Grade Performance Enhancement: Increase the maximum operating temperature for ferrites from 120°C to 180°C to meet 800V platform requirements. Metal powder cores will focus on Fe-Co-Ni-Si-Cr systems, ensuring inductance drop is controlled within 20% under a 150 Oe DC bias, supporting 22kW high-power single-stage onboard charger architectures.
  
• Integration Innovation: Magnetic integration technology promotes the fusion of functional units like transformers, resonant inductors, and common-mode chokes. Using ferrite-metal powder core composite magnetic circuit designs achieves a 30% reduction in overall volume. Advanced forming processes like 3D printing and powder micro-extrusion are gradually being adopted, saving 25% on machining.
  
• Sustainable Development: Promote low-temperature sintering (≤1050°C) and atmosphere recycling technologies in ferrite manufacturing to reduce energy consumption by 15%. Comprehensively advance chromium-free insulation and water-based passivation processes for metal powder cores, cutting VOC emissions by 80% to meet the latest environmental regulations.
  
• Driven by Emerging Applications: AI server power supply power density requirements exceeding 100 W/in³ drive demand for metal powder cores in 6-10 kW modules. The low-altitude economy and robotics industry impose gram-level lightweight requirements for thin magnetic components in the 500kHz-1MHz band, making 0.2mm ferrite thin strips and 0.15mm ultra-thin metal powder cores the focus of technological competition.
  

III. Prospects

Soft ferrites will continue to dominate traditional application fields below 1 MHz, leveraging mature supply chains and cost advantages, while continuously evolving towards higher frequencies and temperatures. Metal powder cores are accelerating their replacement in new energy and digital infrastructure areas requiring high power density and high anti-bias capability. Over the next five years, these two material systems will form deep synergies in the 0.3-3 MHz frequency band. Hybrid magnetic circuit design and green manufacturing processes will become key technological breakthrough points for industry upgrading.