Replacing Rare-Earth Elements in Permanent Magnets

Recently, with the development of industry, the demand for highly efficient/miniaturized parts has been increasing. Especially, the hybrid/electric vehicle market is rapidly growing because of environmental problems and the need to save energy. The Nd-Fe-B magnet, which determines the efficiency and the performance of traction motors, is one of the most important materials in the automobile industry. However, issues with the availability and the price of heavy rare-earth (HRE) metals, which are used to improve the thermal stability of the magnet, are constantly emerging. In addition, as the demand for Nd-Fe-B magnets has been increasing rapidly with the growth of the electric vehicle market, Nd is also expected to be in short supply to meet the demand. Thus, the interest in research to replace Nd/Pr with Ce/La, which is more abundant and cheaper than Nd, along with the development of HRE lean/free magnets, has been growing. The present article introduces the trend in research and development on a Nd-reduced rare-earth magnet to solve the problem of limited rare-earth resources.