These cores are composed of finely defined particles of iron which are insulated from each other but bound together with a binding compound. The iron powder and binding compound are mixed and compressed under heavy pressure, and baked at high temperature. The characteristics of the cores are determined by the size and density of the core, and the property of the iron powder. The high temperature stability makes it suitable for applications such as narrow band filter inductors, tuned transformers, oscillators and tank circuits. See Section I for more details on materials, shapes and sizes.
Ferrites are ceramics materials that can be magnetized to a high degree.
The basic component is iron oxide combined with binder compounds such as nickel, manganese, zinc or magnesium. This causes partial decomposition of the carbonates and oxides. The mixtures are dry pressed into a core configuration, and finally sintered. However, the high permeability of the ferrite makes it unstable at high temperatures, and saturates easily. It is suitable for applications such as DC to DC converters, magnetics amplifiers, etc.