The application of rare-earth permanent magnets
1. Rare-earth magnets application for micro-special motors
In America, Japan and West-Europe developed countries, rare-earth magnets application for motors takes up above 60% of the total sales volume of rare earth magnets. National conditions are different, rare-earth magnets application conditions are also different each other for motors field. For Japan, VCM application takes up about 50% of rare earth
permanent magnet. For America,rare-earth permanent magnets are largely applied in the motors for the field of spaceflight, military project, automobile, computer number control etc. For Europe, rare-earth magnets mostly used in computer number controls.
In the year 2006, our country produced around 37000 myriad sets of rare-earth permanent magnet motors, 50000 sets of them are middle-large size energy-efficient motors.
2. Rare earth magnets are important material base for automobile industry
The latest survey report of market research firm shows that global car and light vehicle yield was up to 5490 myriad sets in the year 2004, and it reached 6000 myriad sets in the year 2005.
Automobile industry already becomes to be the fifth pillar industry in the national economy in China. Its development will surely drive series of industries, including magnetic material industry. One of the biggest application markets for rare-earth permanent magnet motors is automobile industry. The automobile industry is one of the largest fields for the application of neodymium permanent magnets. There are tons of parts that uses permanent magnets motor in everyone automobile. Along with the requirement of electronic technique constantly improved, the permanent magnets motor will be used more and more in automobiles.
3. Rare earth permanent magnets widely used on electric vehicles
Various countries in the world pay close attention to electric vehicles, some countries input a lot of money on electric vehicle development. Motor and drive system is the heart of the electric vehicle. Because of the advantages of small size, high efficiency and excellent property, rare earth permanent magnets became to be the first choice for every country when the develop the new electric vehicle.
It can be foresight, in the near future, the joint-power electric vehicle will mass enter normal families, it will be mass consumption. This is very substantial for driving rare earth permanent magnet motors and NdFeB permanent magnet material.
4. Rare-earth permanent magnets application for electric bicycle
The bicycle is one of traditional pillar industries for China, as the standard of living improved these years, the demands for an electric bicycle is more and more. The yield was over 1000 myriad sets in 2006. Average 0.3kgs sintered NdFeB magnets need for everyone set of electric bicycle, and 3000tons sintered NdFeB magnets used in one year, convert into 6000 tons rough NdFeB magnetic material.
5. Rare earth permanent magnets are used on modern medical equipment, there are mass rare earth magnets in every set of NMR equipment.
Permanent magnet RMI-CT nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)imaging equipment used ferrite permanent magnets in the past, magnetic body weight was up to 50 tons. Now it uses the latest neodymium permanent magnets, its magnetic field intensity increased by double, image clarity also improved too much and saved abundant raw magnetic material. Every set of NMR imagines equipment need about 0.5-3 tons of neodymium permanent magnets. According to the 1000sets of world demands, 500-3000 tons NdFeB permanent magnets needed per year.
6. Loudspeaker rare earth magnets, headphone rare-earth magnets, rare earth permanent magnets for the electroacoustic component.
Loudspeaker and headphone are traditional application field of permanent magnets. After rare earth permanent magnets appeared, with the same output power and tone, the size can be reduced and property can be improved by using neodymium permanent magnets. At present, rare earth permanent magnets loudspeaker and headphone already used in the advanced personal stereo field. As electroacoustic component develops toward high definition and miniaturization, the higher property magnets are needed, in this field, NdFeB magnets material already got widely used.
7. Rare earth permanent magnets abundantly used on magnetic suspension train
The principle of magnetic suspension train is use combined the action of the repulsive force and attraction force which produced between on-board magnets and orbital magnets, so that produce levitation force upward, make the train running out of orbit. The used magnets are rare earth permanent magnets.
China No-06 magnetic suspension train appeared in Dalian in the year of 2005,3Kms permanent magnetic suspension train line that uses neo-iron-boron magnets included in the construction schedule.
Recent years，Magplane International Ltd recommended America magnetic suspension plane system. It adopted new type suspension design which uses neodymium magnets. It needs to match 2 sets of magnetic suspension plane(train) for every one kilometer, each set will use about 10 tons sintered neodymium magnets. Testing is underway.
