Method and apparatus for making ferrite material products and products produced thereby
A method for making ferrite powder may include providing ferrite feed materials in a form of particles having different sizes and irregular shapes, and exposing the ferrite feed materials to a plasma to provide a more spherical shape to irregularly shaped particles to thereby make the ferrite powder. An apparatus for making ferrite powder may include a feeder for ferrite feed materials and a plasma generator for exposing the ferrite feed materials to a plasma.
1. A method for making ferrite powder comprising:
providing ferrite feed materials including at least one of nickel ferrite particles, manganese ferrite particles, magnesium ferrite particles, and zinc ferrite particles having different sizes and irregular shapes; and
exposing the ferrite feed materials to a plasma to provide a more spherical shape to irregularly shaped particles to thereby make the ferrite powder.
2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising controlling at least one of providing and exposing to make the ferrite powder to have at least one of a predetermined phase ratio, surface morphology, density, magnetic moment, and volume electrical resistivity.
3. A method according to claim 2 wherein controlling comprises controlling at least one of a feed rate, an exposure time, and a temperature of the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
4. A method according to claim 2 wherein controlling comprises controlling a composition of the ferrite feed materials.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein controlling comprises controllably supplying at least one additional material to the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one additional material comprises oxygen.
7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one additional material comprises hydrogen.
8. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one additional material comprises an inert gas.
9. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one additional material comprises at least one of copper and silver.
10. A method according to claim 5 wherein the at least one additional material comprises calcined ferrite feed materials.
11. A method according to claim 5 wherein controllably supplying comprises coating the ferrite feed materials with at least one of a silicate, alumina, and an organo-metallic.
12. A method according to claim 1 wherein providing the ferrite feed materials comprises providing metal oxides.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the metal oxides are produced by heating waste material in a reactor while supplying oxygen thereto.
14. A method according to claim 12 wherein providing the metal oxides comprises spray drying the metal oxides.
15. A method according to claim 1 further comprising sorting the ferrite powder to have particle sizes within a predetermined range.
16. A method for making a ferrite article comprising:
providing ferrite feed materials in a form of particles having different sizes and irregular shapes;
exposing the ferrite feed materials to a plasma to provide a more spherical shape to irregularly shaped particles to thereby make a ferrite powder, and controllably supplying a non-ferrite ceramic precursor to the ferrite feed materials during the exposing; and
forming the ferrite powder into a ferrite article.
17. A method according to claim 16 wherein forming comprises forming the ferrite powder into carrier beads.
18. A method according to claim 16 wherein forming comprises forming the ferrite powder into an inert anode.
19. A method according to claim 16 wherein forming comprises forming the ferrite powder into a body of an inductor.
20. A method according to claim 16 further comprising controlling at least one of providing and exposing to make the ferrite powder to have at least one of a predetermined phase ratio, surface morphology, density, magnetic moment, and volume electrical resistivity.
21. A method according to claim 20 wherein controlling comprises controlling at least one of a feed rate, an exposure time, and a temperature of the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
22. A method according to claim 20 wherein controlling comprises controlling a composition of the ferrite feed materials.
23. A method according to claim 16 wherein the ferrite feed materials comprise at least one of nickel ferrite particles, manganese ferrite particles, magnesium ferrite particles, and zinc ferrite particles.
24. A method according to claim 16 wherein providing the ferrite feed materials comprises providing metal oxides.
25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the metal oxides are produced by heating waste material in a reactor while supplying oxygen thereto.
26. A method according to claim 24 wherein providing the metal oxides comprise spray drying the metal oxides.
27. A method according to claim 16 further comprising sorting the ferrite powder to have particle sizes within a predetermined range prior to forming.
28. A method according to claim 16 wherein the non-ferrite ceramic precursor comprises at least one of a silicate, alumina, and an organo-metallic.
29. A method for making ferrite powder comprising:
providing ferrite feed materials in a form of particles having different sizes and irregular shapes; and
exposing the ferrite feed materials to a plasma to provide a more spherical shape to irregularly shaped particles to thereby make the ferrite powder, and controllably supplying a calcined ferrite feed material to the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
30. A method according to claim 29 further comprising controlling at least one of providing and exposing to make the ferrite powder to have at least one of a predetermined phase ratio, surface morphology, density, magnetic moment, and volume electrical resistivity.
31. A method according to claim 30 wherein controlling comprises controlling at least one of a feed rate, an exposure time, and a temperature of the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
32. A method according to claim 30 wherein controlling comprises controlling a composition of the ferrite feed materials.
33. A method according to claim 32 wherein controlling comprises controllably supplying at least one additional material to the ferrite feed materials during the exposing.
34. A method according to claim 33 wherein the at least one additional material comprises oxygen.
35. A method according to claim 33 wherein the at least one additional material comprises hydrogen.
36. A method according to claim 33 wherein the at least one additional material comprises an inert gas.
37. A method according to claim 33 wherein the at least one additional material comprises at least one of copper and silver.
38. A method according to claim 33 wherein controllably supplying comprises coating the ferrite feed materials with at least one of a silicate, alumina, and an organo-metallic.
39. A method according to claim 29 wherein the ferrite feed materials comprise at least one of nickel ferrite particles, manganese ferrite particles, magnesium ferrite particles, and zinc ferrite particles.
40. A method according to claim 29 wherein providing the ferrite feed materials comprises providing metal oxides.
41. A method according to claim 40 wherein the metal oxides are produced by heating waste material in a reactor while supplying oxygen thereto.
42. A method according to claim 40 wherein providing the metal oxides comprises spray drying the metal oxides.
43. A method according to claim 29 further comprising sorting the ferrite powder to have particle sizes within a predetermined range.