Difference Between Ferromagnetism and Ferrimagnetism

Key Difference – Ferromagnetism vs Ferrimagnetism
 

Magnetic materials can be separated into different groups such as ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic based on their magnetic properties. The key difference between ferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism is that the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic materials is higher than that of ferrimagnetic materials.

Ferromagnetic materials are usually metals or metal alloys. Ferrimagnetic materials are metal oxides such as magnetite.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ferromagnetism
3. What is Ferrimagnetism
4. Side by Side Comparison – Ferromagnetism vs Ferrimagnetism in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Ferromagnetism?

Ferromagnetism can be found in metals and metal alloys such as iron, cobalt, nickel and their alloys. Ferromagnetism is the property of materials being attracted to magnets. These ferromagnetic materials can be converted into permanent magnets.

The Curie temperature of the magnetized material is the temperature at which the atoms of the material starts to vibrate and eliminate from the magnetic field. The Curie temperature of ferromagnetic materials is very high.

The atomic moments of ferromagnetic material exhibit strong interactions compared to that of paramagnetic materials and diamagnetic materials. These interactions are a result of electron exchange between atoms. When the material is placed in a magnetic field, the atomic moments align in parallel and antiparallel directions. In ferromagnetic materials, these alignments point to the same direction, thus creates strong magnetic fields. A typical ferromagnetic material shows two characteristic features;

1. Spontaneous magnetization
2. High curie temperature

What is Ferrimagnetism

Ferrimagnetism is the magnetic property of materials having atomic moments aligned in opposite directions. The opposing moments in these materials are unequal. Thus, the material can spontaneously get magnetized. A well-known material which shows ferrimagnetism is magnetite. Most of the iron oxides show ferrimagnetism because these compounds have complex crystal structures.

The magnetic domains or atomic moments in a ferrimagnetic material are in opposite directions that cause the magnetic moment to be cancelled. However, these materials tend to create a magnetic field since the atomic moments are unequal.

Ferrimagnetic materials have a lower Curie temperature when compared to that of ferromagnetic materials. When considering the alignment of atomic moments of ferrimagnetic materials, some moments align in the same direction while most of them align in the opposite directions.

What is the Difference Between Ferromagnetism and Ferrimagnetism?

Summary – Ferromagnetism vs Ferrimagnetism

Materials can be divided into several groups based on their magnetic properties. Ferromagnetic materials and ferrimagnetic materials are such two types. The difference between ferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism is that the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic materials is higher than that of ferrimagnetic materials.

Reference:

1. “Ferromagnetism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Apr. 2018. Available here  
2. “Ferrimagnetism.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Apr. 2018. Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.’Ferromagnetic ordering illustration’By Jens Böning – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.’Ferrimagnetic ordering’By Michael Schmid – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia