The Quest for Rare-Earth-Free Magnets

Synopsis

Hard magnets are used in most modern technology, being an indispensable component of cars, computers, medical devices, electric motors, and more. Their key function is to produce an indefinite magnetic field that can create forces and torques without the need for an additional energy source. Thus, many hard magnet technologies generate clean energy, like wind turbines, or utilize clean energy and decrease energy consumption, like electric vehicles, thereby acting against climate change and towards sustainable energy.

Almost all commercial high-performance magnets contain rare-earth metals, as these magnets produce the strongest magnetic fields. Unfortunately, rare-earth metals are low in abundance, very expensive, and have an unstable supply chain. Furthermore, their mining and processing consume a large amount of energy and release toxic substances like radioactive elements into the air, water, and soil. Though rare-earth magnets have desirable magnetic properties, relying on them for our daily technology and climate change efforts is not practical, and change is imperative. An ongoing effort towards this end is the quest for rare-earth-free magnets that can perform at a level comparable to the record-holding rare-earth magnets. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the promising rare-earth-free materials being investigated, along with the challenges that must be addressed for these materials to become successful hard magnets.