Author: Choi Lin Publish Time: 2025-06-18 Origin: Site
In today's technology-driven society, high-performance magnetic materials are indispensable, powering everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to consumer electronics. Rare-earth permanent magnets, such as neodymium magnets (NdFeB), are ubiquitous. However, the high costs, volatile supply chains, and environmental concerns associated with rare-earth elements have compelled scientists and engineers worldwide to seek more sustainable alternatives: rare-earth-free magnets. This report provides a detailed chronological overview of global research progress in this field, covering key institutions, scientists, research directions, performance metrics, commercialization efforts, and future outlook.
Rare-earth-free magnets are permanent magnetic materials that do not rely on rare-earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium. Their development aims to overcome resource constraints and geopolitical risks by creating new magnets from abundant elements, such as iron and manganese, in pursuit of a solution that balances high performance with low cost.
During this era, research on rare-earth-free magnets primarily revolved around traditional materials like ferrites and Alnico, which laid the groundwork for modern magnetic materials science.
1930s:
o Institution/Scientist: In 1932, Japanese metallurgist Dr. Tokushichi Mishima invented the Alnico magnet. This alloy, composed of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, and iron, was the first modern permanent magnet to be widely adopted.
o Research Direction: Focus was on enhancing magnetic properties by adjusting alloy compositions and heat treatment processes. Early isotropic Alnico magnets had a maximum energy product ((BH)max) of about 1 MGOe.
o Applications: Replaced electromagnets in devices such as loudspeakers, motors, microphones, and sensors.
o Source: SDM Magnets
1950s:
o Institution: Researchers at the Philips Physics Laboratory in the Netherlands discovered barium ferrite (BaO·6Fe₂O₃) in 1952.
o Research Direction: As a ceramic permanent magnet, ferrite is made from iron oxide and other metal oxides (like barium or strontium oxide). Its raw materials are extremely low-cost, and it boasts excellent resistance to corrosion and high temperatures.
o Commercialization: Philips commercialized it under the trade name "Ferroxdure." Its cost-effectiveness allowed it to rapidly capture a significant share of the permanent magnet market.
o Source: WZ Magnetics
1960s:
o Institution: Philips further developed strontium ferrite (SrO·6Fe₂O₃), which offered superior properties and gradually replaced barium ferrite as the mainstream choice.
o Research Direction: Improving the energy product and coercivity of ferrite magnets to meet growing industrial demands.
o Source: WZ Magnetics
1970s:
o Scientist: Initial studies were conducted on FeNi superlattices, known as the naturally occurring mineral Tetrataenite, found in meteorites. Scientists recognized its potential for excellent hard magnetic properties. However, its formation in nature requires millions of years of slow cooling, making artificial synthesis extremely challenging at the time.
o Research Direction: Theoretical research and analysis of the physical properties of natural samples.
o Source: PMC - Accelerating Nature: Induced Atomic Order in Equiatomic FeNi
1980s:
o Commercialization: Manganese-Aluminum-Carbon (MnAlC) magnets saw a brief period of commercialization. While a moderate-performance permanent magnet, it was quickly overshadowed by the much more powerful NdFeB magnets, discovered in 1984.
o Source: Okon Recycling
The spike in rare-earth prices and supply risks around 2010 rekindled global interest in rare-earth-free magnets, leading to the parallel development of multiple technological pathways.
2009:
o Institution/Scientist: Northeastern University filed a patent application for permanent magnet materials based on cobalt carbide (CoC) nanoparticles.
o Research Direction: Using nanosynthesis techniques to produce mixtures of Co₂C and Co₃C phases with high coercivity. Research indicated that cobalt carbide nanocomposites showed promising hard magnetic properties.
o Source: Google Patents - EP2475483A1
2010s:
o Institution: The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Critical Materials Institute (CMI), hosted at Ames Laboratory, became a central force in advancing rare-earth-free magnet research.
o Research Direction: CMI funded a diverse portfolio of research projects, including systematic studies on materials like Manganese-Bismuth (MnBi), Iron Nitride (FeN), and Manganese-Aluminum (MnAl).
o Source: Ames Laboratory
Circa 2013 onwards:
o Institution/Scientist: A team led by materials scientist Professor Jian-Ping Wang at the University of Minnesota made significant progress in Iron Nitride (α”-Fe₁₆N₂) research.
o Research Direction: Their work focused on overcoming the challenges of stabilizing the α”-Fe₁₆N₂ phase. Theoretical calculations predicted this material could have an exceptionally high saturation magnetization, with a potential energy product far exceeding that of NdFeB magnets.
o Commercialization: Professor Wang founded Niron Magnetics to commercialize this iron nitride magnet technology.
o Source: Yahoo News
The 2020s have marked several milestone achievements in rare-earth-free magnet research, with some technologies beginning their transition from the laboratory to the market.
2020:
o Institution: The U.S. DOE initiated a project titled "Low-Cost Rare-Earth-Free Electric Drivetrain," with Niron Magnetics as a key participant, to develop electric drive systems without rare earths.
o Source: U.S. Department of Energy
2022:
o Institution: The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) announced the successful development of a high-performance "rare-earth-reduced" permanent magnet.
o Research Direction: By controlling the atomic-scale microstructure, they solved the problem of magnetic property degradation when adding large amounts of cerium (Ce, an abundant light rare-earth) to neodymium magnets. While not entirely rare-earth-free, this technology significantly reduces the dependency on expensive heavy rare earths.
o Source: Magnetics Magazine
2024:
o Institution/Scientist:
Niron Magnetics: Announced the opening of its commercial pilot plant in Minneapolis, the world's first facility for producing high-performance rare-earth-free permanent magnets. The company plans to bring its full-scale manufacturing facility in Sartell, Minnesota, online in 2026 with an annual capacity of 1,500 tons.
LG Innotek & KIMS Collaboration: Announced the development of the world's first high-performance, eco-friendly magnet without any heavy rare earths (HRE-free). They developed a novel multi-component alloy that, through a grain boundary diffusion process, successfully replaced heavy rare earths like terbium (Tb) and dysprosium (Dy) while maintaining high-temperature performance.
o Tested Performance: Niron's Iron Nitride magnets demonstrate excellent performance at temperatures below 200°C. LG Innotek's magnet achieved coercivity levels comparable to those containing heavy rare earths.
o Commercialization Progress: Niron Magnetics has secured significant government funding and private investment, with a clear path to commercialization. LG Innotek's breakthrough signals new application possibilities in consumer electronics and automotive sectors.
o Source: Niron Magnetics, LG Newsroom
2025 (and recent):
o Institution/Scientist:
Ames Laboratory (USA): A team led by scientists Jun Cui and Wei Tang announced a major breakthrough in Manganese-Bismuth (MnBi) magnets.
Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS): A team led by Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim and Dr. Jung-Goo Lee published an innovative "two-step grain boundary diffusion process."
o Research Sub-direction:
Ames Laboratory (MnBi): Developed a unique preparation and fabrication process. They create an ultrafine MnBi powder and coat each particle with a polymer solution to prevent grain-to-grain interaction. An external magnetic field is used during fabrication to align the particles, creating an anisotropic magnet. A remarkable feature is that its coercivity nearly doubles as the temperature increases by 100°C from room temperature, showing exceptional high-temperature stability.
KIMS (Grain Boundary Diffusion): Employs a high-melting-point metallic material to infiltrate the magnet at high temperature, followed by cooling and a second diffusion step. This method effectively suppresses the abnormal grain growth seen in traditional processes, achieving coercivity equivalent to heavy rare-earth-containing magnets (performance grades of 45SH to 40UH) without using any heavy rare earths.
o Practical Application & Testing: Ames Laboratory has collaborated with an industrial partner to test the MnBi magnet in an industrial pump motor, where it performed slightly better than design specifications and is now undergoing fatigue testing.
o Commercialization Progress: The Ames Lab results demonstrate the potential of MnBi magnets for specific industrial applications, with the added benefit that bismuth is a low-cost byproduct of other smelting processes. KIMS's technology is ready for technology transfer and commercial production.
o Source: Ames Laboratory News, Bioengineer.org
As a leading enterprise in the magnet industry, BMAG is actively developing rare earth-free magnets. The first trial batch of rare earth free magnets meeting 40SH grade specifications is scheduled for testing in August.
The future development of rare-earth-free magnets will likely follow several key trends:
1.Balancing Performance and Cost: The goal of rare-earth-free magnets is not to completely replace NdFeB magnets across the board, but to find their niche within a broad performance-cost spectrum. High-performance Iron Nitride magnets may challenge NdFeB in high-end applications like EV traction motors, while lower-cost manganese-based magnets (MnAl, MnBi) and advanced ferrites could replace rare-earth magnets in mid-to-low-end applications (e.g., industrial pumps, sensors, consumer electronics).
2.Coexistence of Multiple Technologies: The future market will not be dominated by a single technology. Iron nitride, manganese-based alloys, FeNi superlattices, carbides, and advanced versions of traditional Alnico and ferrite magnets will co-develop to meet the diverse requirements of different applications regarding magnetic performance, operating temperature, cost, and mechanical properties.
3.Accelerated R&D via Computational Science and AI: The discovery and optimization of new materials will increasingly rely on high-throughput computing and artificial intelligence. These tools can rapidly screen potential compounds, predict their magnetic properties, and optimize manufacturing processes, significantly shortening the R&D cycle from theory to practice.
4.Integration of Advanced Manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing (additive manufacturing) will unlock new possibilities for creating complex-shaped and custom-tuned rare-earth-free magnets. This is crucial for producing highly integrated and lightweight motors and other components.
5.Accelerated Commercialization: With pioneers like Niron Magnetics successfully establishing production lines and more research nearing commercial application, the market share of rare-earth-free magnets is expected to grow significantly between 2025 and 2030. Supply chain security and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors will be major drivers of market adoption.
6.Conclusion: The journey of rare-earth-free magnets has been long, evolving from fundamental theoretical exploration to an era of technological breakthroughs and accelerated commercialization. While a complete replacement for rare-earth magnets is still on the horizon, a new, more diverse, sustainable, and secure era for permanent magnetic materials has arrived. The continuous efforts of global research institutions and companies are progressively liberating us from our dependence on rare-earth resources.
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