Composite soft magnetic material and coated particles therefor

The invention provides a composite soft magnetic material which is prepared by coating soft magnetic metal particles with a high resistance soft magnetic substance, preferably by mechano-fusion, applying electricity to the coated particles in a mold cavity between punches serving as electrodes, for example, to thereby create a plasma, and thereafter further conducting electricity to effect plasma activated sintering. There is obtained a composite material which possesses both the high saturation magnetic flux density and high magnetic permeability characteristic of the soft magnetic metal and the high electric resistivity characteristic of the high resistance soft magnetic substance.