Are Neodymium Magnets Permanent?
Neodymium is a kind of rare earth metal that is used in the production of neodymium magnets. Neodymium magnets can attract iron, nickel, cobalt, and other ferrous metals with a force that is more than three hundred times stronger than their size. Neodymium magnets may be utilized in a wide variety of applications, ranging from building construction to medical equipment; nevertheless, there is a possibility that you will become concerned about the magnetism of these magnets with time. So, are neodymium magnet permanent? We’ll get to the answers soon enough, but first, let’s define what a permanent magnet is to have more insight into the subject matter of this article. Read on to learn more.
What is a Permanent Magnet?
Permanent magnets are materials that can produce magnetic flux when magnetized in response to an external magnetic field. The magnetism capacity of a material is defined by two basic factors: remanence and coercitivity.
The inherent coercitivity of a permanent magnet, denoted by the symbol “Hcj,” is often larger than 300 kOe (in the CGS unit) or 24 kA / m. (in the SI unit). Permanent magnets with higher coercitivity have a greater capacity to resist demagnetization, which can include demagnetization caused by electric or magnetic circuit field demagnetization and demagnetization caused by thermal demagnetization the working temperature in a variety of motors and electrical machine applications.
Compared to an electromagnet, a permanent commercial magnet needs relatively high remanence and coercion at a cheap cost, such as a neodymium magnet. On the other hand, an electromagnet only exhibits magnetic properties when an electric current is sent through it.
Why Does Neodymium Have Such a Strong Magnetism?
It’s very uncommon to hear people refer to neodymium magnets as either “Super Magnets” or “Power Magnets.” On the market today, you will not find a stronger permanent magnet than neodymium magnets. This is the explanation for why it is so magnetic, and the power that it possesses has an unfathomably high potential.
Why does neodymium have such a strong magnetic pull? Because it is made of ferromagnetic material, neodymium, with a magnetic field. That which may be magnetized or attracted by a magnet is said to have magnetic properties. Neodymium is a rare earth substance, and when combined with iron and boron to form an alloy, it transforms into the strongest magnet currently available on the market.
Why Does Neodymium Have Such a Strong Magnetic Pull?
In addition to being a rare-earth metal, neodymium has ferromagnetic properties. It indicates that, similar to iron, neodymium is capable of becoming magnetic. Because of its high reactivity, neodymium is never discovered in its native state as a metallic element. The element is always combined with other lanthanides.
Because we are fascinated by powerful magnets, we have devoted much time and effort to writing about neodymium. However, Nd’s chemical element does not possess the magnetic force until refined.
Neodymium is the rare-earth element with the second highest abundance, and it is discovered in lanthanide minerals. It is combined with several other components. However, it is not particularly scarce since it is available in enormous amounts.
The formation of the NdFeB tetragonal crystalline structure is necessary for transforming neodymium into a powerful magnet. This transformation requires the metal to be treated alongside iron and boron. The grain is microcrystalline and makes up the alloy. They are being made and magnetized simultaneously so that their magnetic axes will all point in the same direction when they are finished.
The draw force that a neodymium magnet can reach is the highest of any commercially available permanent magnet. The fact that it has such a high level of saturation, or magnetism, contributes to its incredible strength. Therefore, the magnetic properties of the alloy may be attributed to the magnetic energy that can be stored by the combination of neodymium, iron, and boron.
Because of the crystal lattice’s resistance to changing the direction of magnetization, neodymium magnets have a high coercivity. This implies that it is extremely difficult to demagnetize neodymium magnets, making them permanent magnets.
Therefore, you shouldn’t be concerned that your super magnets made of neodymium may lose their effectiveness. This is possible, but a neodymium magnet will not experience any discernible weakening of its magnetic force under controlled conditions. Extreme heat and other really strong magnets have the potential to demagnetize part of the strength, but if you use it in your day-to-day life, you don’t need to be concerned about this at all.
Because neodymium does not naturally resist corrosion, the magnets made from this material are often coated. Rust is produced when the iron is exposed to humid air because the element combines with oxygen to produce rust. Therefore, you need to be concerned about the environments in which you employ neodymium magnets; nonetheless, your safety is our first concern.
Permanent Magnet’s Strength
Various measures contribute to the strength of a permanent magnet, which might be perplexing. Magnetic field strength (remanence), resistance to demagnetization (coercivity), and pulling force are all often referred to as strong and desirable properties of a permanent magnet.
A permanent magnet’s maximal energy product value, measured in Mega Gauss Oersteds, is the single most important indicator of its strength (MGOe). The bigger the maximal energy product value, the stronger the magnetic field generated by the magnet in a certain application.
The maximum energy product (BHmax) is determined by multiplying the remanence (Br) and coercivity of a magnet (Hc). The world’s strongest magnets are neodymium magnets, which are created in many grades. Still, each grade is given a convenient designation that enables you to assess which magnet is stronger easily. N35 through N52 grade neodymium magnets are commercially available; the number following the letter ‘N’ signifies the magnet’s maximum energy product.
Temperature affects a magnet’s performance. Certain magnets, such as alnico and samarium cobalt magnets, operate better at high temperatures than others.
All magnets lose a portion of their magnetism with each temperature increase, and these magnetic materials lose magnetism at varying rates and have varying maximum functioning temperatures. If the temperature exceeds the specific grade’s maximum functioning temperature, it will be permanently demagnetized.
How Does a Permanent Magnet Work?
The atomic structure of a permanent magnet determines how it functions. The electrons that surround the nuclei of their atoms form a naturally occurring, although modest, magnetic field in all ferromagnetic materials. These atom groups may orient themselves in the same direction, and each of these groups is referred to as a magnetic domain. Like other permanent magnets, each domain has its north and south poles. When a ferromagnetic material is not magnetized, its domains point in random directions, and their magnetic fields cancel out.
A permanent magnet is created by the heating ferromagnetic material to very high temperatures while being subjected to a strong external magnetic field. This causes the material’s magnetic domains to align with the direction of the external magnetic field until all domains are aligned, and the material achieves its magnetic saturation point. The material is subsequently cooled to seal the aligned domains in place. Because of the domain alignment, the magnet is anisotropic. Hard magnetic materials retain most of their domains when the external magnetic field is removed, resulting in a powerful permanent magnet.
Permanent Magnet’s Physical Properties
Because most permanent magnets are fragile by nature, they should not be used as structural components. Measurements and tolerances vary by manufacturer. However, most will create magnets with a tolerance of +/- 0.1mm for all dimensions specified. Permanent magnets are manufactured in various forms, including basic rings, bars, discs, and bespoke designs such as trapezoid, arc, miter, and even the ‘top hat.’
Permanent magnets are often coated to increase their function. Consider neodymium magnets; these are the strongest permanent magnets available. Still, they are also the most prone to corrosion owing to their high iron content. Hence they are almost always coated. Nickel, stainless steel, PTFE (Teflon), epoxy, rubber, gold, titanium, chrome, and many more coatings are common.
Conclusion
I hope you found this article useful. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have more questions or concerns concerning permanent magnets, their applications, their materials, their strengths, and so on. If you like this post, please forward it to anybody who may find it valuable.
ROBO Magnetic offers a comprehensive selection of permanent neodymium magnets for use in various applications ranging from construction to medical equipment. Request a quick quotation now; we’ll be there in a few seconds!
