What is a rare earth magnet made of
What is a Rare Earth Magnet Made of?
Rare earth magnets, comprised of neodymium and other rare earth metals, are the strongest type of permanent magnetic material and find use in industrial motors, generators and sensors as well as consumer products and craft projects.
Rare earth elements refers to 17 elements found in smaller quantities than other metals on the periodic table and possessing unique magnetic properties that make them useful in producing strong magnets. This group of rare earth elements is known as the Lanthanides and includes elements like Neodymium, Dysprosium, Praseodymium and Samarium; Neodymium magnets are among those most often manufactured from this group of rare earth magnets.
Rare earth magnets have become an indispensable element of modern technology, serving a multitude of applications such as hard drives, audio speakers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Their strength enables them to be much smaller than other types of magnets while offering equal magnetic field.
Ceramic and ferrite magnets may be less costly than their rare earth counterparts, but they cannot generate the same strong magnetic fields or maintain charge retention over time, losing magnetism when exposed to high temperatures.
Rare earth magnets differ from their ceramic and ferrite counterparts in that they cannot be easily re magnetized due to a phenomenon known as thermal fluctuation magnetic aftereffect, which gradually decreases their magnetic field over time depending on temperature, usage permeance coefficient, frequency of use etc.
Rare earth magnets, due to their delicate composition, must often be coated or plated in order to protect them from chipping off and crumbling into powder. Furthermore, rare earth magnets may be attached to other materials like aluminum or steel for enhanced performance and durability.
In order to safely use these powerful magnets, extreme care should be taken. They can cause serious injuries if body parts are pinched between them or they come into close proximity; additionally they may damage certain electronic devices and equipment; if two magnets come too close together they could collide causing flying chips of rare earth magnet material to collide and hit each other causing flying chips of rare earth magnet material that could break glass, skin or other materials.
Neodymium magnets are one of the most affordable and widely used rare earth magnets, consisting of an alloy composed of iron, neodymium, and boron (commonly abbreviated as NIB). Production of this type of rare earth magnet is relatively straightforward and it comes in an assortment of shapes and sizes for ease of use. Selecting an appropriate rare earth magnet depends on its intended application - engineers should be consulted when choosing an appropriate rare earth magnet.