A ceramic magnet is one of the most popular materials, or group of materials, by which magnets are made. There are a number of advantages to using a ceramic magnet, including costs. However, there are also some disadvantages to the magnet. In some cases, they may not be suitable for all projects.
A ceramic magnet, or ferrite magnet, is made using powdered magnetic materials, such as iron oxide and strontium carbonate. In most cases, they are hard and brittle. However, the powdered materials used can be applied to flexible fabric, which makes them ideal for many home uses. Even so, home uses, such as in decorative magnets, are only the beginning of their usefulness.
A ceramic magnet is made by combining the two main materials. These are melted down to the point where they stick to each other. This process is called sintering. Once that happens, the material is cooled, pressed into a certain shape, dried and then sintered one more time.
Types of ceramic magnets include those referred to as soft ferrites and hard ferrites. It should be noted that despite the terms, this has nothing to do with the materials themselves. Rather, this has to do with the intensity of the magnetic field required to de-magnetize the material so that it has no magnet effects. A hard ferrite will require a more intensive magnetic field to accomplish this.
Ceramic magnet benefits include longevity and cost. The magnets tend to retain their magnetic properties for a very long time and are therefore referred to as permanent magnets. The materials used to make the magnets are abundant and cheap. The manufacturing process is easy and mass-produces the magnets, further bringing down the costs. These two features have only worked to increase the popularity of this type of magnet.
Uses of ceramic magnets run the gambit from the mundane to the technical. They are used as speaker magnets, in motors and even in MRI machines. The versatility of the magnet and its ability to keep itself magnetized is very important in all of these applications.
Despite all the benefits, there are some disadvantages to the magnets as well. Due to the fact they are mass produced, ceramic magnet shapes are very limited. Most commonly, they come in blocks, discs and rings. In other cases, the magnetic properties may need to be turned off once in a while. This cannot be done with ceramic magnets.