A team of scientists in South Korea has developed a new way to make high-performance permanent magnets without using costly heavy rare earth elements.
This breakthrough could help reduce costs and reliance on rare earth materials, which are mostly controlled by China.
Researchers from the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), led by Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim and Dr. Jung-Goo Lee, discovered a special process that makes magnets just as strong as commercial ones—but without the need for expensive heavy rare earth elements.
Their findings were published in the journal Acta Materialia.
Permanent magnets are essential for many industries, including electric vehicle (EV) motors, robots, and drones.
However, most high-performance magnets rely on heavy rare earth elements, which are expensive and difficult to obtain. This makes production costly and limits supply.
To solve this problem, the research team developed a new grain boundary diffusion process (GBDP) that improves magnet performance without using heavy rare earths.
The key to this breakthrough is a two-step grain boundary diffusion process:
- First step – A special metal-containing material is heated and infiltrated into the magnet.
- Second step – A low-cost light rare earth element (Praseodymium, Pr) is then added through another round of heating.
This technique prevents grain coarsening, a common issue in previous diffusion methods that reduced magnetic performance. By controlling this problem, the researchers improved diffusion efficiency and increased the magnet’s strength.
What are the benefits?
- High performance: The new magnets perform at the same level as traditional heavy rare earth magnets.
- Lower costs: Avoiding expensive materials means cheaper manufacturing.
- Less dependency: Countries can produce magnets without relying on limited global supplies of heavy rare earth elements.
- Stronger industry: This technology could boost South Korea’s position as a leader in the magnet industry.
If this technology is commercialized, it could revolutionize industries that require high-performance magnets, including electric vehicles, drones, and even flying cars.
Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim, the lead researcher, stated:
“For years, scientists have tried to reduce or replace heavy rare earth elements in magnets, but progress has been slow. Our breakthrough offers a new path forward. If commercialized, it will make South Korea a major player in magnet technology.”
This exciting discovery could lead to cheaper, more efficient, and more sustainable magnets for the future!
