In what could very well end up being a major breakthrough for the technology industry, researchers at from Tohoku University (Japan) have successfully produced a completely rare-Earth-free, high-quality FeNi magnet using simple, low-cost industrial technologies.
At present, high-quality magnets are used in many applications, including household appliances, medical equipment, automobiles, and more. They’re typically made using rare Earth elements samarium, neodymium, dysprosium, and more.
The practice of producing these magnets using these materials has been in place for some time, but of late, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to compete with one another in the production of energy-saving technology for next generation machines and devices using these high-cost, increasingly rare magnets.
FeNi magnets are particularly expensive because they’re often found in small quantities in natural meteorites (in an extreme equilibrium state); they are produced in the universe at an extremely slow cooling period that stretches on for billions of years. Due to the rarity of this magnetic material, it is very expensive to use.
Up until the Tohoku announcement, it was thought to be impossible to reproduce this magnet artificially in a short time due to the extremely slow diffusion rate of elements around the magnetic formation temperature.
Under the guidance of Professor Akihiro Makino, the Tohoku team succeeded by producing the magnet using high atomic diffusivity at low temperatures, crystallizing the material from an amorphous state. Taking this approach reduced the production speed of the magnet from billions of years to a couple of days, with 10 being the maximum amount of days it would take to produce.
To learn more, check out the team’s paper, entitled “Ultra-low Core Loss Magnetic Material Technology Area,” under the framework of the “Tohoku Innovative Materials Technology Initiatives for Reconstruction.”
Via: Tohoku University
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