Repurposing Magnetic Fluids to Solve a Need of a Vacuum Feedthrough
Ferrofluid technology first appeared on the technological scene in the 1960’s when a researcher at NASA tried to create a magnetic rocket fuel that could be manipulated under zero gravity by powerful magnets and fed into rocket engines. This concept was abandoned for other alternatives at the time, but the technology was licensed by the earliest founders of what is now Ferrotec Corporation, and since then Ferrotec has been the world leader in magnetic fluid technology, manufacturing and supply. By all modern standards, these first magnetic fluids were crude and would have no practical use in current technologies, but they laid the groundwork for the innovations that were to follow.
Magnetic fluid technology was first licensed by NASA to AVCO Corporation, Wilmington, MA in the 1960’s, under the direction of Dr. Ron Rosensweig. The name ferrofluid was first coined by Rosensweig et al in 1967 in a contract research report funded by NASA. Commercialization of ferrofluids began in 1968 with the founding of Ferrofluidics Corporation by R.E. Rosensweig and R. Moskowitz. The official name for the product was given as ferrofluid. Many possible applications were envisioned for ferrofluids. Loudspeaker technology was one of them, and continues to be one of the largest market segments, going into over 300 million loudspeakers each year at over 300 different companies. Since then, Ferrotec Corporation, formerly Ferrofluidics, has branched out into many areas of ferrofluid technology, becoming a world leader in products for domain detection, material separation and biomedical research, among others.
Ferrotec’s ferrofluid business operates out of our facilities in Bedford, New Hampshire in the United States and in Chiba, Japan.
About Ferrotec
Founded on a technology core of Ferrofluid magnetic liquid and Ferrofluidic® sealing products, our company and our product portfolio have grown to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Ferrotec is now a global enterprise characterized by substantial intercompany cooperation in research, manufacturing and marketing of products.
Ferrotec (USA) Corporation is headquartered in Livermore, California. Our operations are focused on North American markets with facilities in Bedford, New Hampshire and San Jose, California. Ferrotec (USA) Corp. employs over 200 people in the design, manufacture, sales and marketing of a broad line of products.
Our Values
- Strong commitment to our customers
- Excellence in engineering precision solutions
- Delivering superior quality, value and service
Ferrotec at a Glance
- Regional Operation Centers in North America, Europe, Japan, China, and Singapore
- Manufacturing Locations in the USA, Germany, Japan, and China
- 7000 employees worldwide
Our Core Businesses
Globally, Ferrotec serves customers through many applications and industries. In the North American markets we focus on select business segments, increasing our speed and efficiency working with customers in those industries. While our knowledge base is particularly strong in these areas, our product groups share their expertise, making Ferrotec very adaptable in the shape of changing market synergies.
- Ferrofluidic Seals
- E-Beam Components
- MeiVac Systems
- Machinable Ceramics
- Ferrofluid
- Fabricated Quartz
- Thermoelectrics
- Temescal Systems
- MeiVac Components
- Advanced Ceramics
- CVD-SiC Parts
- Contract Manufacturing
Do You Need More Information?
For questions about specific ferrofluid series, ferrofluid applications, or to place an order, contact your Ferrotec ferrofluid solutions representative or use the Ferrofluid Inquiry Form.