Business trend
Electronic parts makers are accelerating
their efforts to eliminate rare earth contents from the next-generation motor to
be mounted on electric vehicles. Currently, such rare earths as neodymium and dysprosium
are mixed with iron to create the strongest permanent magnet to be used for
motors for EVs. Mitsubishi Electric developed a car-mounted motor utilizing the
principle of electric magnet that does not use rare earth in alliance with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The principle
is to convert strong magnet energy generated by electrifying the coil wound around
the circumference of iron oxide to the drive force. The motor based on this
principle has lower energy efficiency than the existing motor in acceleration,
but there is no difference in performance between the two at constant speed.
TDK developed a dysprosium-free permanent
magnet that has the same magnet energy as a dysprosium-containing permanent
magnet by minimizing and equalizing the molecules of materials. The company is
scheduled to incorporate it in a car-mounted motor after 2014. Toshiba is developing
a dysprosium-free magnet, using samarium abundant in Australia and the U.S. The
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will support these efforts. It plans to
establish a technology & research organization to develop magnets with
enough magnet energy and heat tolerance using abundant materials like nitriding
iron. The organization to be participated by automotive makers, magnet makers, universities,
and public research agencies is expected to develop rare earth-free magnets in a
scheduled period of 10 years.
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