Novel Ferromagnetic Materials for Electromagnetic Ammunition Devices

Recent activities in the development of electromagnetic directed energy for defense against missiles have focused on compact explosive driven sources of high power microwaves among several other technologies. Several issues need to be addressed in orderto bring this technology to fruition, particularly the ferromagnets used in these sources. Following a successful Phase I and follow-on efforts using two separate approaches (i.e., surface modification of commercial ferrets and synthesis of ferritenanoparticles), we will develop in the proposed Phase II program materials based on these two approaches. The goal is to satisfy certain requirements that have evolved as a result of the various developments in energy directed applications as well asother high frequency applications. Namely, we plan to address the issue of faster magnetics that of high frequency filtering with enhanced performance. Our efforts will focus on material optimization, characterization, core fabrication and testing indevices, as well as scale up and commercialization of the appropriate components, in collaboration with our partners. This effort will establish a precedent for taking this technology further towards useful compact high power microwave devices. Inaddition to directed energy weapons and magnetic switching, the novel ferromagnetic materials will prove useful in inductively coupled fuzing, permanent magnets in small motors, low-loss inductors for rechargeable consumer products, transformers, chokes,television e-beam deflection yokes in telecommunications, anechoic chambers, high density recording media and high frequency filters.