Bolstered by its development of a high-performance magnet without any heavy rare earth (HRE) metals,
LG Innotek is zeroing in its R&D sights on what it sees as the next step in the advancement of eco-friendly magnets – development of a commercially viable magnet devoid of any rare earths that is comparable in performance to those based on rare earth elements. It’s a technology development path which the company has been pursuing relentlessly and has generated a string of progressive breakthroughs in recent years.
In 2021, LG Innotek introduced a magnet with 60% lower HRE metal content compared to previous magnets. The company’s newest product, however, announced in November, does not use any expensive HRE metals such as terbium (Tb) or dysprosium (Dy) yet exhibits the world’s strongest magnetic force for such a magnet.
“LG Innotek is also developing rare earth-free magnets that use no heavy or light rare earths at all, notes S. David Roh, chief technology officer. “We will continue to deliver distinguished customer value to our customers by introducing innovative materials and parts ahead of the curve.”
The achievements have been made possible through collaboration with the Korea Institute of Materials Science, the latest leading to development of the pioneering multi-component alloy capable of replacing HRE metals. The alloy is uniformly pasted to each magnet and heated for even diffusion. The magnet boasts an industry-leading magnetic performance of 13.8kG (kilogauss, a unit of magnetic field strength), said the company. Previously, HRE metals were considered necessary to increase the durability of magnets at high temperatures. However, the company’s ‘high-performance eco-friendly magnet’ boasts at temperatures up to 180℃ without using any HRE elements or expensive precious metals.
By eliminating the need for HRE metals, the company says it can reduce the cost of raw materials required for magnet production by 60% along with other benefits. A significant reduction in environmental pollutants marks a win for customers who value eco-friendly technologies to minimize environmental pollution. Study results show that mining one kilogram of HRE metals generates more than 0.5 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 450kg of acidic wastewater and radioactive substances. Using ‘high-performance eco-friendly magnets’ instead of conventional ones in electric vehicles can reduce the generation of environmental pollutants by about 45kg per vehicle.
Building upon the company’s recent development in advanced ferrite, the new magnet uses ferrite as its core material but it also incorporates the special alloy to achieve its desired properties. The resulting magnet is highly durable, maintaining its magnetic strength up to 180 degrees Celsius. A previous report in Magnetics Magazine highlights the company’s innovative ferrite materials X-2 and X-3 for components like Nexlim, along with its rising prominence in research and development of fundamental magnetic materials and technology.
LG Innotek plans to apply the new magnet to its products such as smartphone actuators, to further enhance their price competitiveness. In addition, it will actively promote the product to global automakers, automotive parts companies, and smartphone manufacturers to expand its application to sectors such as home appliances and robots. For more info, see www.lginnotek.com.
