Compound May Magnetically Outperform Neodymium Magnets

Phoenix666 writes:

Compound may magnetically outperform neodymium magnets:

NIMS and Tohoku Gakuin University have developed a boron-doped anisotropic Sm(Fe_0.8Co_0.2)12 thin film containing only small amount of rare earth elements. The compound exhibited 1.2 tesla coercivity, sufficient for use in automotive electric motors. This was achieved by creating a unique granular nanostructure in which Sm(Fe_0.8Co_0.2)12 grains are uniformly enveloped by an amorphous grain boundary phase approximately 3 nm in thickness. This compound exhibited superior magnetic properties to that of Nd-Fe-B based magnets even when processed into a thin film.

Demand for green technologies that can help to reduce CO₂ emissions (e.g., electric motors for environmentally friendly vehicles and wind power generation) has been growing, leading to rapidly increasing demand for the high-performance permanent magnets needed for these technologies. The Nd-Fe-B based sintered magnets currently in use are composed not only of the rare earth element neodymium but also a heavy rare earth element: dysprosium. Because of the geopolitical risks associated with the acquisition of these materials, development of new magnets that do not rely on the scarce elements is desirable.

It is hoped the compound can supply green technologies with less geopolitical risk than neodymium magnets.

Journal Reference: H. Sepehri-Amin et al, Achievement of high coercivity in Sm(Fe_0.8Co_0.2)12 anisotropic magnetic thin film by boron doping, Acta Materialia (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2020.05.026

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