Colorado-based UQM Technologies (NYSE MKT: UQM) has earned a patent for a new EV motor design that uses non-rare earth magnets. Most current EVs use permanent magnet motors that include rare earth metals, which offer strong and constant magnetic fields. However, obtaining rare earths can be environmentally harmful, and some fear that supplies may run… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "rare earth"
MotorBrain: a compact, lightweight motor system with no rare earths
The European MotorBrain project has presented a prototype of a lightweight electric motor system that integrates the motor, gear drive and inverter, and requires no rare earth metals. The prototype motor system is three quarters the size of models from the beginning of the project in 2011, and, at less than 77 kg (170 lbs),… Read more »
New network aims to develop Canadian production of rare earth elements
Could rare earth elements such as neodymium, terbium and dysprosium someday be critical strategic resources, as oil, natural gas and coal are today? That may be a stretch, but there’s little doubt that the market for these specialty materials, which are essential ingredients in a huge array of high-tech products, including EV components, is poised… Read more »
Honda reuses rare earth metals from batteries, releases Environmental Annual Report
In the spirit of the “triple bottom line” (People, Planet, Profit), Honda released its 2012 Environmental Annual Report today, documenting the CO2 emissions of the company’s vehicles throughout their entire life cycles. The company claims to be the first automaker to do so. Honda also announced that it will begin reusing rare earth… Read more »
Researchers aim to improve rare-earth-free magnets through microstructure engineering
Researchers from the DOE’s Critical Materials Institute (CMI) and Ames National Laboratory have developed a new method of manufacturing manganese bismuth (MnBi) magnets based on microstructure engineering. They describe their wok in “Engineering microstructure to improve coercivity of bulk MnBi magnet,” published in the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. Permanent magnets used for electric… Read more »
Nissan and Waseda University announce recycling process for rare-earth compounds
Nissan and Waseda University are testing a jointly developed recycling process that recovers high-purity rare-earth compounds from EV motor magnets. Since 2010, Nissan has been working from the design stage to reduce the amount of heavy rare-earth elements (REEs) in motor magnets. Nissan is also recycling REEs by removing magnets from motors that do not… Read more »
WVU creates research facility for rare-earth metal extraction from mining waste
West Virginia University (WVU) is currently building a research facility intended to develop rare earth metal recovery processes for acid mine sludge. The $3.38 million-dollar project will test the technological scalability of these recovery processes and develop US supply chains from acid mine sources and treatment. WVU will partner with Rockwell Automation, a sensor and control… Read more »
Critical Materials Institute manufactures an all-American rare-earth magnet
As rare-earth magnets are used in an increasing number of modern technologies, the ability to produce them domestically could be important for national security. Now the Critical Materials Institute, a DOE Innovation Hub, has fabricated a batch of magnets entirely from domestically sourced and refined rare-earth metals. The Idaho National Laboratory sourced the raw materials… Read more »
Honda and Daido Steel develop rare-earth-free neodymium magnet
Daido Steel and Honda have collaborated to develop a hot deformed neodymium magnet that contains no heavy rare earth elements, but still delivers the high heat resistance and high magnetic performance required for a hybrid vehicle motor. Neodymium magnets are prized for use in electrified vehicle motors, as they have the highest magnetic force of… Read more »
Tohoku U team produces rare-earth-free Fe-Ni magnet
High-performance magnets, which are critical for EV motors, typically depend on rare earth elements such as samarium, neodymium and dysprosium. These exotic materials are not only costly, but also present environmental and political challenges. Researchers from Tohoku University in Japan recently succeeded in producing a completely rare-earth-free high-quality magnet made of iron and nickel. The… Read more »