Electric and magnetic properties of a thermoplastic elastomer incorporated with ferromagnetic powders

The electric and magnetic properties of a composite material consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer incorporated with iron powder and nickel-iron alloy powder are investigated. The volume fraction of the powder filters ranges from 0.1 to 0.5. The composites are characterized in terms of their volume and surface resistivities, permittivities and electric loss factors and magnetic permeabilities 0 and magnetic loss factors. With the addition of the ferromagnetic powders, the volume and surface resistivity values of the composites decrease by more than seven orders of magnitude, the permittivity values increase tenfold and magnetic permeability values increase by a factor of about six. The ferromagnetic powders are more effective in contributing the electric and magnetic properties the composite at higher loading levels. The frequency variations of AC electric and magnetic properties are also measured in the range 20 Hz to 1 MHz