NANOPYME

Nanocrystalline Permanent Magnets Based on Hybrid Metal-Ferrites

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'This project addresses the design and development of permanent magnets without rare earths but consisting on hybrid nanostructures based on metals and metal ferrite oxides. The metallic nanostructures offers high magnetization values while the ferrite oxide one provides high anisotropy. We intend to design and process novel permanent magnets based on traditional hard ferrites and additional new magnetic phases combined with a soft magnetic phase to achieve high magnetic performance through effective exchange-coupling of both magnetic phases. This phenomenon has been extensively studied in metallic systems but not in oxide nanocomposite permanent magnets, where the studies are very scarce mainly due to the difficulty in optimizing the magnetic properties because of microstructural complexities. In view of practical applications this will guarantee their use in some nowadays applications which are currently covered by more expensive rare-earth permanent magnets, simply because typical ferrites do not fulfill the required magnetic energy product. This “no-man's-land” applications area - characterized by required energy products between 35 to 100 kJ/m3 - includes fundamental fields such as diverse components for transport and energy applications. As an important consequence, the use of rare-earth based permanent magnets will be reduced to its maximum possible extent by fulfilling the needs for a broad applications range by these newly designed rare-earth free permanent magnets. This project is therefore important from a fundamental as well as from a practical point of view where the complementary expertise areas of the different groups will combine to achieve the proposed objectives.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

EU-funded scientists are developing a new generation of permanent magnets, shifting away from rare earth elements. These should be particularly attractive for electric vehicles and machinery.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Rare earth magnets are much stronger than ferrite ones, thus resulting in greater performance for smaller motors. However, rare earth magnets are more expensive given that most reserves are controlled by emerging markets. Currently, the EU faces strong competition from China, which has started to develop its own devices in addition to exporting the raw materials.

In the EU-funded project 'Nanocrystalline permanent magnets based on hybrid metal-ferrites' (http://nanopyme-project.eu/ (NANOPYME)), scientists are improving ferrite magnetic properties by synthesising novel hybrid nanocomposites based on metals and metal-ferrite oxides. NANOPYME is combining the complementary magnetic properties of both materials to produce stronger magnets.

The new magnets will boast the advantage of not being sensitive to air exposure, compared to rare earth ones that need to be coated to avoid rapid oxidation.

Competitiveness, safety, recyclability and eco-efficient production will be important parameters to successfully scale-up production from the laboratory to industry.

To prove the potential of the newly developed magnetic materials, NANOPYME will design and test a full-scale prototype motor for an electric bike. This bike has similar requirements to direct-drive wind turbine generators. The project will also develop a protocol for adapting infrastructure and the procedures used in existing manufacturing lines for producing ferrite-based magnets at a minimum cost.

Through computer simulations, scientists have derived the relationship between nanocomposite structural and magnetic parameters. Using a number of methods, project members have synthesised cobalt-ferrite nanoparticles that demonstrated outstanding microstructural and magnetic properties.

Another project achievement has been to grind strontium-ferrite into fine and homogeneous powder for use in magnets. NANOPYME has developed a new process that allows recovery and improvement of the original magnetic properties of the initial strontium-ferrite powder.

Through NANOPYME, Europe will mobilise its resources in a concerted way to take the lead in development of permanent magnets free of rare earth elements. NANOPYME's eco-friendly processing methods will significantly reduce the environmental impact of permanent magnet production.