Not all toroids are created equal. Each toroid offers many benefits that you cannot achieve using standard transformers, but that does not mean that a toroid should be used interchangeably. From custom coil winding to core material selection, your custom design toroids must meet exact specifications for application and size.

Below, we want to highlight the most popular options for magnetic cores. Choosing a core material is the first step in designing toroidal transformers.

Amorphous Steel cores comprise extremely thin strips of the material and are often used for transformers that operate between mid and high frequencies. Engineers prefer amorphous steel when the flow of eddy currents needs to be minimized. If you need an extremely efficient transformer in medium frequency operations, you should consider amorphous steel.

Silicon Steel and Alloys are thin strips of silicon alloy. To build the toroid, the thin strips are stacked together. You can often find this material being used in electrical transformers operating at 50, 60, or 400 Hz. You should use this material when magnetic propagation needs to be efficient.

Toroids

Steel offers a strong magnetic field, but it also produces higher eddy currents than the other materials listed above. It would help if you only used steel when the heat is not a factor because steel is known to generate large amounts of heat that can negatively alter the overall performance of the transformer.

Related Reading

• Do Toroids Work in Industrial Applications
  Toroidal transformers are used because they are small without sacrificing the power of effectiveness.
• Understanding and Calculating Inductance of Toroids
• The Difference Between Toroids and Toroidal Power Transformers