| "A large potential
growth area for rare earth magnets is in powerful drive motors
for the electric car market. Typical projections for the use
of permanent magnets suggest an increase from around $10 million
of business today, to around $200 million..." |
|
|
| High-Power
Electric Drives benefit from cheaper rare-earth magnets |
| Feb 2003 |
|
$1000, €1000, £600 |
Our June 2002 report describes a new
route that offers potential for significantly lower cost rare-earth
magnets. This will be of particular interest to the purchasers
of magnets – such as electric motor and drive manufacturers
- in their quest to:
• Gain a price-performance edge over other competitors who
are using rare earth magnets in their drives.
• Displace conventional magnets and open up cost-effective routes to drives
for the emergent electric vehicle market.
Our analysis indicates, for example, that the cost of manufacture
of dense neodymium-based magnets may be reduced by up to $15 per
kilogramme of finished unit. The new process is based on the electrolysis
of mixed metal oxides to produce one-step alloys, and has already
attracted substantial R&D money from the US Navy.
|
| Electric
vehicles drive future demand |
A large potential growth area for rare
earth magnets is in powerful drive motors for the electric car market.
Typical projections for the use of permanent magnets suggest an increase
from around $10 million of business today, to around $200 million
at the end of the decade, for a global market of around 3 million
electric cars. This will largely be filled by high-energy, rare-earth
magnets. However, to enable the widespread uptake in preference to
conventional magnets a significant reduction in manufacturing cost
is required. Our analysis indicates that this technique may enable
the required reduction in cost to take place, thus displacing the
alternative conventional magnets in this application.
|
| Beyond
magnets |
Of course, this technology does not just
have implications for the rare-earth magnet alloys. The technique
is general and can be applied to the manufacture of numerous other
commercially significant materials – often with previously
unattainable forms. For example, the developers have demonstrated
production of the superconductor niobium-titanium and the so-called
memory alloy, nickel-titanium.
|
| In
the report |
We describe:
• The background to the new technology
• Current magnet production routes
• Estimated economics of the new process
• Key researchers and operators in the field
• Who will be affected
To take advantage of this process, it will necessary for magnet
users to work with magnet producers to develop the technology to
point of use. We name key magnet alloy manufacturers with the resources
to accomplish this.
|
| Want
to read more? |
| Our report can be purchased by Contacting
us... |
| |
(Top photo courtesy of University of
Cambridge)
(Bottom photo courtesy of Electron Energy Corporation) |
|
