• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.221-227
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• 2012

High performance permanent magnets have become the subject of considerable attention because of the potential applications in the traction motors of hybrid and electric vehicles and wind generators. Nd-Fe-B magnets have attracted considerable interest due to a large maximum energy product. However, Nd-Fe-B magnet cannot be used in high temperature (${\sim}200^{\circ}C$) applications due to the thermal degradation of coercivity. Therefore, the development of high coercivity Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet is a challenging issue. In case of high coercivity Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet, an increment in the intrinsic coercivity can be easily achieved by substituting Nd atoms with Dy or Tb atoms. However, these heavy rare-earth elements are known to cause a decrease in remanence due to the antiferromagnetic coupling between Dy and Fe atoms. In addition, Dy is relatively expensive and being limited in quantity. Hence, a new technology that can increase the coercivity of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnet using only a small amount, or even, no amount of heavy rare-earth elements is being investigated. This article describes the research trend in reducing the heavy rare-earth elements in Nd-Fe-B magnets.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.48-57
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• 2018

In this study, we developed a method for manufacturing high strength gray cast irons by adding a rare earth element (R.E.) included in a spent permanent magnet scrap to gray cast irons. The improvement of the mechanical properties of gray cast irons is attributed to A-type graphite formation promoted by complex sulfide, which was formed by R.E. in the spent magnets during a solidification process. The cast specimen inoculated by R.E. in the spent magnet scrap showed excellent tensile strength up to 306 MPa, and is similar to that of the specimen inoculated by expensive misch-metal. In this regards, we concluded that the cheap spent magnets scrap is a very efficient inoculation agent in fabrication of high performance gray cast irons.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.11
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• pp.1511-1518
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• 2014

Demand for high fuel efficiency and smart features of the vehicles, research has been intensified. Hence, research and development on electric power steering (EPS) system to replace the existing hydraulic steering system has been actively conducted. Permanent magnet motors are widely used in automotive applications due to their high power density and high efficiency. However, increasing price and limited production of rare-earth permanent magnets has recently prompted the auto parts makers to substitute permanent magnet motors by non- or less rare earth magnet motors. Switched reluctance motors SRMs), known as typical non-rare earth motors have simple structure, low manufacturing cost, and high reliability. This paper discusses design, modeling, simulation, and experimental verification of a prototype SRM drive for electric power steering system.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.58-65
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• 2012

Since Nd-Fe-B magnet was first synthesized in 1983, many new applications have emerged in the past two decades. With regard to motor market, it will expand because of strong energy saving requirements from the automobile and electric application markets. Especially, permanent magnet motors for hybrid and electric vehicles are drawing great attention and the usage of Nd-Fe-B magnets will increase all the more hereafter. There is, however, a serious problem as motors in such eco-friendly cars are said to operate in high temperatures of about $200^{\circ}C$. Nd-Fe-B magnet has a drawback of dramatically decreasing coercive force with the rise of temperature. In order to improve this aspect. the best way is to add dysprosium (Dy) into the magnet. So, Dy has become an essential element for Nd-Fe-B high-performance magnet as it helps to maintain coercive force even at high temperatures. On the other hand, the rare earth resources in the earth crust are eccentrically-located and its majority is produced in China. There is a need to reduce its usage as, especially compared to light rare earth elements as neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm), heavy rare earth elements including Dy are unevenly distributed to a dramatic degree, their output low, and their prices are about 10 times that of Nd. The present article includes a summary of the trend in research and development of motors and permanent magnets to solve rare-earth resources problem.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2023

Liquid metal extraction (LME), a pyrometallurgical recycling method, is popular owing to its negligible environmental impact. LME mainly targets rare-earth permanent magnets having several rare-earth elements. Mg is used as a solvent metal for LME because of its selective and eminent reactivity with rare-earth elements in magnets. Several studies concerning the formation of Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds and their effects on LME using Mg exist. However, methods for reducing these compounds are unavailable. Fe reacts more strongly with B than with Dy; B addition can be a reducing method for Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds owing to the formation of Fe₂B, which takes Fe from Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds. The FeB alloy is an adequate additive for the decomposition of Fe₂B. To accomplish the former process, Mg must convey B to a permanent magnet during the decomposition of the FeB alloy. Here, the effect of Mg on the transfer of B from FeB to permanent magnet is observed through microstructural and phase analyses. Through microstructural and phase analysis, it is confirmed that FeB is converted to Fe₂B upon B transfer, owing to Mg. Finally, the transfer effect of Mg is confirmed, and the possibility of reducing Dy-Fe intermetallic compounds during LME is suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2014.11a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2014

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnestics Society Conference
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• 2013.12a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2013

Rare earth (RE) - transition metal based high energy density magnets are of immense significance in various engineering applications. $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ magnets possess the highest energy product and are widely used in whole industries. Simultaneously, composite alloys that are cheap, cost effective and strong commercially available have drawn great attention, because rare-earth metals are costly, less abundant and strategic shortage. We designed rare-earth free alloys and fabrication process and developed novel route to prepare $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ powders by wet process employing spray drying and reduction-diffusion (R-D) without the use of high purity metals as raw material. MnAl-base permanent magnetic powders are potentially important material for rare-earth free magnets. We have prepared the nano-sized MnAl powders by plasma arc discharge and micron-sized MnAl powders by gas atomization. They showed good magnetic property, compared with that from conventional processes. $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ powders with high coercivity of more than 10 kOe were successfully synthesized by adjusting R-D step, followed by precise washing system. It is considered that this process can be applied for the recycling of RE-elements extracted from ewaste including motors.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.147-150
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• 2011

Since their discovery in the early 1980's, the market for bonded rare earth magnets has shown steady growth. Today these magnets are widely used for our daily life such as computer peripherals, automotive, consumer electronics, and office automation. However, the price increases of rare-earths started from the $2^{nd}$ half of 2010 became even worse in 2011. During $2^{nd}$ quarter of 2011, almost all of rare-earths showed unprecedented vertical price increases, and it brought significant impact to the related industry in terms of the price and supply. This will ask the fundamental change in the policy of the bonded rare earth industry to expand its market share, which has been highly dependent on the replacement of ferrite magnets via relatively higher performance compared to the price at certain applications. In order to achieve the sustainable growth of bonded rare-earth magnets in the future, it needs to change the current paradigm and setup the new business model. This article includes a brief summary of the rare earth price trend and the applications of the rare-earth bonded magnets. The efforts to improve the performance and diversify the applications for future growth have been also presented.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.146-155
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• 2019

Rare earth magnets are the strongest type of permanent magnets and are integral to the high tech industry, particularly in clean energies, such as electric vehicle motors and wind turbine generators. However, the cost of rare earth materials and the imbalance in supply and demand still remain big problems to solve for permanent magnet related industries. Thus, a magnet with abundant elements and moderate magnetic performance is required to replace rare-earth magnets. Recently, $a^{{\prime}{\prime}}-Fe_{16}N_2$ has attracted considerable attention as a promising candidate for next-generation non-rare-earth permanent magnets due to its gigantic magnetization (3.23 T). Also, metastable $a^{{\prime}{\prime}}-Fe_{16}N_2$ exhibits high tetragonality (c/a = 1.1) by interstitial introduction of N atoms, leading to a high magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant ($K_1=1.0MJ/m^3$). In addition, Fe has a large amount of reserves on the Earth compared to other magnetic materials, leading to low cost of raw materials and manufacturing for industrial production. In this paper, we review the synthetic methods of metastable $a^{{\prime}{\prime}}-Fe_{16}N_2$ with film, powder and bulk form and discuss the approaches to enhance magnetocrystalline anisotropy of $a^{{\prime}{\prime}}-Fe_{16}N_2$. Future research prospects are also offered with patent trends observed thus far.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.8-15
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• 2018

Solvent extraction behavior of light rare earth elements (Pr, Nd) and medium rare erath elements (Tb, Dy) in the HCl-PC88A-kerosene extraction system was investigated in order to separate high-purity light rare earths (Pr, Nd) and medium rare earths (Tb, Dy) in the mixed rare earth chloride solution. In the batch test step, it was confirmed that the separation efficiency was good when the extractant concentration (PC88A) was 0.5 M, the equilibrium pH after extraction was 0.8 to 1.0 (initial pH 1.3 of the feed), the concentrations of hydrochloric acid in scrubbing solution was set as 0.1 M, the concentrations of hydrochloric acid in stripping solution was set as 2.0 M or more. Based on the experimental data obtained from the batch test, the mixer-settler was composed as follows; 4 stages of extraction, 8 stages of scrubbing, 4 stages of stripping, and 3 stages of pickling organic solution. The Mixer-settler was operated for 180 hours, and the operating conditions were continuously adjusted to obtain the high-purity light/medium rare earths. Finally, the purity of light (Pr, Nd) and medium rare earth elements (Tb, Dy) was reached as 3 N class.