MAGNETIC MATERIAL

Magnetic materials are those materials that can be either attracted or repelled when
placed in an external magnetic field and can be magnetized themselves.

MAGNETISM
Magnetism is a class of physical phenomena that includes forces exerted by
magnets on other magnets.

TYPES OF MAGNETIC MATERIALS

1. Diamagnetic material
2. Ferromagnetic material
3. Paramagnetic material
4. Anti ferromagnetic material
5. Ferrimagnetic material

1. DIAMAGNETIC MATERIAL
In a diamagnetic material the atoms have no net magnetic moment when
there is no applied field. According to Lenzs law, under the influence of an
applied field (H) the spinning electrons process and this motion, which is a type of
electric current, produces a magnetization (M) in the opposite direction to that of
the applied field. All materials have a diamagnetic effect; however, it is often the
case that the diamagnetic effect is masked by the larger paramagnetic or
ferromagnetic term. The value of susceptibility is independent of temperature. The
susceptibility is negative and small.

Examples:
Water
Protein

1. FERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL
A type of material that is highly attracted to magnets and can become
permanently magnetized. Ferromagnetic materials exhibit a long-range ordering
phenomenon at the atomic level which causes the unpaired electron spins to line up
parallel with each other in a region called a domain.

Examples:
Iron
Nickel
Cobalt
All ferromagnets have a maximum temperature where the ferromagnetic
property disappears as a result of thermal agitation. This temperature is
called the Curie temperature.
The fraction of the saturation magnetization which is retained when the
driving field is removed is called the remanence of the material, and is an
important factor in permanent magnets.
Ferromagnets can retain a memory of an applied field once it is removed.
This behavior is called hysteresis

Hysteresis Loop

2. PARRAMAGNETIC MATERIAL
A magnet that retains its attractive force once it is removed from a magnetic
field. The paramagnetic materials have a positive and small magnetic susceptibility
Example:
Manganese
Platinum

Paramagnets do not retain any magnetization in the absence of an externally

applied magnetic field because thermal motion randomizes the spin orientations.
For low levels of magnetization, the magnetization of paramagnets follows what is

known as Curie's law, at least approximately. This law indicates that the
susceptibility of paramagnetic materials is inversely proportional to their
temperature, i.e. that materials become more magnetic at lower temperatures. The
mathematical expression is:

Where:
is the resulting magnetization
is the magnetic susceptibility
is the auxiliary magnetic field, measured in amperes/meter
is absolute temperature measured in Kelvin
is a material-specific Curie constant

3. ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIAL
Antiferromagnetism type of magnetism in solids such as manganese
oxide (MnO) in which adjacent ions that behave as tiny magnets (in this case
manganese ions, Mn2+) spontaneously align themselves at relatively low
temperatures into opposite, or antiparallel, arrangements throughout the material so
that it exhibits almost no gross external magnetism.
This spontaneous antiparallel coupling of atomic magnets is disrupted by
heating and disappears entirely above a certain temperature, called the Nel
temperature, characteristic of each antiferromagnetic material. (The Nel
temperature is named for Louis Nel, French physicist, who in 1936 gave one of
the first explanations of antiferromagnetism.)

Antiferromagnetic
Alignment

Examples:
Hematite
Chromium

4. FERRIMAGNETIC MATERIAL
Ferrimagnetism is another type of magnetic ordering. In ferrimagnets the
moments are in an antiparallel alignment, but they do not cancel. Ferrimagnetic
materials have high resistivity and have anisotropic properties. The anisotropy is
actually induced by an external applied field. When this applied field aligns
with the magnetic dipoles it causes a net magnetic dipole moment and causes
the magnetic dipoles to process at a frequency controlled by the applied field,
called Larmor or precession frequency.

Ferrimagnetic Alignment

As a particular example, a microwave signal circularly polarized in the

same direction as this precession strongly interacts with the magnetic dipole
moments; when it is polarized in the opposite direction the interaction is very low.
When the interaction is strong, the microwave signal can pass through the material.
This directional property is used in the construction of microwave devices like
isolators, circulators and gyrators. Ferrimagnetic materials are also used to produce
optical isolators and circulators. Ferrimagnetic minerals in various rock types are
used to study ancient geomagnetic properties of Earth and other planets. That field
of study is known as paleomagnetism.
Example:
Magnetite(Fe3O4)

APPLICATIONS OF MAGNETIC FIELD

Televisions
Televisions have magnets inside of them that make them work. These
cathode ray tubes have an electron gun in the neck of the tube that shoots a stream
of electrons toward the screen. Normally these electrons travel in a straight line
and strike the screen at a central spot.
But powerful electromagnets in the tube's neck deflect the electrons toward the top
or bottom and left or right sides of the tube. The inside of the screen has a special
coating that glows when the stream of electrons strikes it. In this way, magnets
help us see images on the TV screen.
Magnetic Sweepers
Magnetic sweepers are used in industries to help reduce maintenance costs and
eliminate flat tires at airports, loading docks and work sites.
Around the house
Magnets are used around the house in innumerable things some of which are:
Headphones, Stereo speakers, Computer speakers, Telephone receivers, Phone
ringers, Microwave tubes, Doorbell ringer solenoid, Refrigerator magnets to hold
things, Seal around refrigerator door, Plug-in battery eliminators, TV deflection
coil, TV degaussing coil, Computer monitor deflection coil, Computer hard drive
recording and reading head, Dishwasher water valve solenoid, Shower curtain
weights / attach to tub, Power supply transformers and many more.