Is it difficult to cut a slot in a powdered iron toroid?

[e100]

I'm following this page
https://softsolder.com/2014/09/18/current-sensing-powered-iron-toroid/

What actually holds the iron particles together? Is it some sort of thermoset resin?
Do I need to worry about chipping, or it suddenly crumbling into pieces?

I only have hand tools and a Dremel with a variety of carbide and diamond cutters.

[coppercone2]

I feel like those CBN dremel wheels are the best for cutting stuff like that.

Diamond is best for like ferrite ceramic type inductors, and the hard part is cutting it under water because it likes to shatter.

I don't think you need diamond for powered IRON.

I think they use pressure glue. That is glue that bonds under high pressure in a mold. It is probobly a few percent additive (that is, if they use anything special at all).

unless you have something that is 'glass like' , you don't need diamonds


The newest ones have inorganic binder. I don't know how that works. Maybe they add some metal that deforms to cold sinter it or something. patent says  aluminum phosphate matrix. But I still recon its soft and you don't need diamonds. Water glass might be used too


I cut into granite with a steel rod in it with CBN wheel

[jonpaul]

WHY? Really there is no reason to cut a powdered iton toroid.

Because, powdered iron toroids are inherent gapped, distributed.

see excellent  Micrometals cats and app notes.

https://micrometals.com/

Jon

[coppercone2]

WHY? Really there is no reason to cut a powdered iton toroid.

Because, powdered iron toroids are inherent gapped, distributed.

see excellent  Micrometals cats and app notes.

https://micrometals.com/

Jon

the inherent gap in the powered iron core is the reason why the slope is gentle for this inductor type?

[RoGeorge]

WHY?

In the OP link, the gap was cut to insert a Hall sensor in the magnetic path, in order to make a load/current sensor.  A Dremel was used to cut a gap, and it worked.  I would cut that outside, and with a mask, for just in case the ferrite glue and dust is nasty.

A single hit with a hammer, while the core is in a vice, so to break in two should also work.  Since the exact parameters of the core doesn't matter, the sensor can be as well made out of two pieces glued with the Hall sensor in the magnetic circuit.

Then, there is the possibility to let the core intact, and use it as a current transformer, unless it must measure down to DC.