Investigation of High Magnetostriction Materials for Advance Sensors and Actuators

A new class of magnetostrictive nanocomposite material based on cobalt ferrite in a metal binder has recently been identified by our collaborators at Iowa State University (ISU) which presents an alternative or strong competitor to so-called giant magnetostrictive material, Terfenol D, or piezoelectric materials for advanced sensor and actuator applications. As part of a recently awarded NSF grant,ISU group plan to minimise the magnetomechanical hysteresis of the new materials by refining composition and processing to alter their nanostructure and to make the enhanced materials available to the Cardiff group. Dynamic domain studies and measurements of the a.c. stress/magnetostrictive properties of the materials will be carried out in Cardiff to help understand the influence of composition and processing needed to identify ways of optimising the magnetomechanical properties. A finite element method (FEM) electromagnetics programme will be developed to incorporate a magnetoelastic model in order to predict dynamic performance of sensors or actuators based on the new materials. Miniature force/ torque sensors and actuators will be designed, produced and evaluated before comparing with best state of art alternatives. In parallel with the assessment of the materials produced by ISU for the project, alternative production of the material in thick film form will be attempted for possible future microsensor and actuator applications,