
General DescriptionAlnico describes a family of materials, which is derived from a common base composition comprising of aluminum, nickel, cobalt and iron with
Alnico describes a family of materials, which is derived from a common base composition comprising of aluminum, nickel, cobalt and iron with varying additions of other elements. By varying the composition it is possible to tailor the magnetic properties to meet the needs of a wide variety of end use applications. There are two different manufacturing processes for Alnico: Cast Alnico can be made into many sizes and shapes, whereas Sintered Alnico is usually restricted to smaller sizes. However, both processes are not suitable for complex geometry and configurations, both alloy systems are hard and brittle and do not lend themselves to conventional machining. Standard Sintered Alnico has tighter dimensional tolerances due to its processing. It also has slightly lower magnetic properties, but better mechanical strength than Cast Alnico products. Alnico alloys, which possess the lowest reversible temperature coefficient magnetism in permanent magnet materials, have excellent working temperature up to 600°C. High Nickel content of Alnico alloy results in good stability against corrosion and oxidation, this metallic composition is also a good electrical conductor.