Question

Write the uses of Alnico.

Answer 1

Alnico is a type of iron alloy and apart from iron, its primary constituents are Aluminium, nickel and cobalt. Alnico alloys have very strong magnetic properties and high ferromagnetism.

Complete step by step solution:
Alnico has many useful properties and is thus very commonly used. Alnico has strong magnetic properties and its ferromagnetism is high. They produce very strong magnetic fields and are resistant to demagnetization. It can maintain its magnetic properties at high temperatures as well. The temperature at which materials lose their magnetic properties is known as the Curie temperature. Alnico has a very high curie temperature of around ${800^{\text{o}}}{\text{ C}}$. Alnico magnets are also electrically conductive and are highly resistant to corrosion. Different types of alnico alloys may have either isotropic or anisotropic properties depending on their composition.
From the above written properties of Alnico alloy we can clearly conclude that it can be used as strong permanent magnets. They are used in microphones, electric guitar pickups, sensors, electric motors, travelling wave tubes, loudspeakers, etc. Alnico speakers are widely preferred by many musicians since they respond quickly and produce a very good tone. In short, they are reliable wherever strong permanent magnets or magnets at high temperatures are required.

Note:
As the name suggests alnico is primarily composed of Aluminium (Al), Nickel (Ni) and Cobalt (Co). It may also contain copper and titanium small amounts. Generally, the composition of metals in Alnico is as follows, $8 - 12\%$ of aluminum, $15 - 26\%$ of nickel, $5 - 25\%$ of cobalt, $6\%$ of copper and $1\%$ of titanium.
Different compositions of the constituent metals give different types of alnico alloys, namely cast alnico, sintered alnico and bar alnico.