144uH 20A IRON POWDER INDUCTOR GREEN (USED)
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This specification describes a high-power inductor that uses a Green iron powder core, which is the industry standard color for Material Mix #52.
This material is a specialized iron powder designed to overcome the efficiency limitations of the more common "Mix #26" (Yellow/White). It is primarily used in high-frequency power conversion where keeping the component cool is as important as its inductive performance.
Inductance (L):144uH (at zero DC bias).
Current Rating (I):20A (continuous DC/RMS).
Core Material: Iron Powder Mix #52 (identified by the Green/Blue or solid Green body).
Energy Storage: High energy density, suitable for smoothing high-current ripples.
Why the "Green" Core (Mix #52)?
In a 20A application, an inductor generates significant heat. Mix #52 is specifically engineered to handle high frequencies (up to 500kHz) with much lower core losses than standard iron powder.
Lower Core Losses: Compared to the standard yellow cores, the green material reduces internal heating by approximately 20–30%. This is critical at 20A to prevent "thermal runaway" where the heat causes the insulation to fail.
High Frequency Performance: While standard iron powder struggles above 50kHz, Mix #52 remains efficient in the 100kHz to 300kHz range commonly used in modern power supplies.
Soft Saturation: It retains its inductance well under load. At the full 20A rating, the inductance will likely drop from 144uH to roughly 90uH–100uH (a "soft" drop), rather than failing completely.
Cost-Effective Efficiency: It provides a middle ground between the cheap-but-hot Yellow/White cores and the expensive-but-cool Sendust or MPP cores.