UK deep-tech company Materials Nexus has unveiled a new permanent magnet created without rare earth elements, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence. This AI-assisted approach has accelerated the development process by 200 times compared to traditional methods, opening up new possibilities for meeting the global demand for strong magnetic fields. This advancement not only promises a more sustainable future but also signifies a major leap in the quest for efficient, eco-friendly technology.
Additionally, Materials Nexus claims that their new magnet, MagNex, can be produced at 20% of the cost of existing rare earth magnets and with a 70% reduction in carbon emissions.
Iain Todd, Professor at the University of Sheffield (Metallurgy and Materials Processing), says, “We’re really excited that our first interaction with Materials Nexus has yielded such a hugely positive outcome.” He also said, ” The combination of Materials Nexus’ approach of using AI for materials discovery and the world-class facilities we have for the manufacture of advanced alloys in the Henry Royce Institute here at Sheffield has allowed a novel magnetic material to be developed with breathtaking speed.”
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Permanent Magnets and Issues
When the world is turning more to the use of electric cars, it becomes important to develop motors that are lightweight, powerful and compact. The more frequently used type is permanent magnet motors, which are used for more than 80% of the electric vehicles in the present world. However, these magnets are made from critical, toxic and—as is the case of neodymium and dysprosium—expensive materials that presume destructive mining and high-energy and cost-demanding refining.
The largest market for EVs is China, and it is also the largest producer and processor of rare earths. They account, for instance, for as much as 70% of the global rare earth’s output and process nearly 90% of it. This has put the country in a monopoly-like position of controlling the essential materials that are required, while other markets can easily be supplied randomly and price changes created easily.
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Rare-earth-free magnetics pose an interesting proposition; however, they are often challenging when it comes to formulation and come in lower levels of power compared to regular rare earth magnets. Niron Magnetics has created high-performing rare-earth-free magnets made from readily available iron and nitrogen in combination. However, it has been researched and developed for over a decade now and as far as it is concerned, it is not fully ready to be mass-produced.
Contemporary and future magnet startups require what Materials Nexus claims to provide to them; the identification of rare-earth-free magnetic materials. By replacing the age-old practice of trial and error, it believes that it can do it not 10 times, but hundreds of times faster than ever before. Years can be spent in the continuous search for resources, using his AI platform to find the rare-earth-free magnetic material in a couple of days or weeks.
The search for alternatives is on and this discovery has made a significant contribution to a more sustainable future. Let’s see whether Materials Nexus’s new magnet can become a viable alternative for permanent magnets.
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