New Nanocomposite Magnets Could Reduce the Demand for Rare Earth Elements
Rare-Earths China produces the vast majority of the world's rare-earth oxides. Wikimedia CommonsA little exchange coupling goes a long way. Rare earth elements are getting a lot of ink these days, as questions about future supply have led to both political and economic tensions, and to a renewed search for rare earth deposits in North America, Australia, and parts of Southeast Asia. But some researchers think less rare earths, not more, are the key to sustaining industry's need for the minerals going forward. GE scientists have devised a new breed of nanostructured magnets that require smaller amounts of rare earths to achieve the same high magnetism. Rare earths like neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium are important ingredients in the strong magnets that are the key to everything from wind turbines to efficient automobile engines. But China currently produces more than 95 percent of the world's refined rare earth elements, and global demand...