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What Are Neodymium Magnets?
A deep dive in the world's strongest permanent rare earth magnets
Article Overview
Join us as we go into detail about neodymium magnets.
In this article we will cover the following topics:
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1. What is neodymium?
Neodymium is a chemical element with the symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It belongs to the lanthanide series of rare earth elements and is a silvery-white metal that quickly oxidizes in air. It was discovered in 1885 by Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach, who separated neodymium and praseodymium from the mineral didymium. Neodymium is not found in nature as a free element. Instead, it is extracted from minerals such as monazite and bastnäsite. Despite being classified as a rare earth metal, neodymium is relatively abundant in Earth's crust, comparable to elements like cobalt or nickel.
2. The history of the element neodymium
Neodymium was discovered in 1885 by Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach. He found that a substance once thought to be a single element, didymium, was actually made of two elements—praseodymium and neodymium. The name "neodymium" comes from Greek words meaning "new twin."
At first, neodymium was hard to purify. Early methods like crystallization couldn't make it very pure. In the 1950s, a better method called ion-exchange made it easier to get high-purity neodymium from minerals like monazite and bastnäsite. Today, this pure neodymium is used in magnets, glass, and many high-tech products. See the Wikipedia neodymium history article for more details. Also see our The History of Neodymium Magnets article to learn how the element neodymium was used in the creation of neodymium magnets.
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3. What are neodymium magnets? Are they solid neodymium?
No, neodymium magnets are made from an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron (NdFeB). These elements form a hard, crystalline structure that aligns magnetic domains efficiently, resulting in a very strong permanent magnet. The Nd2Fe14B phase is key to their performance, allowing high magnetic strength even in compact sizes.
What makes neodymium the strongest rare earth magnet?
The three below factors of neodymium's atomic structure, high coercivity and high energy density play a large part in why neodymium magnets are the strongest permanent rare earth magnets available on the market.
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Atomic Structure - The unique alignment of atoms in the Nd2Fe14B crystal structure generates powerful magnetic fields.
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High Coercivity - They resist demagnetization, ensuring long-term performance.
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High Energy Density - Their high energy product (measured in Mega-Gauss Oersteds, MGOe) allows for compact yet powerful magnets.
Small amounts of other rare earth elements like dysprosium or terbium are sometimes added to improve performance at higher temperatures. The raw magnets are usually coated with nickel, zinc, or epoxy to protect against corrosion, since the material itself is susceptible to rust and corrosion. Our standard coating is nickel-copper-nickel (Ni-Cu-Ni). You can learn more about neodymium magnet coating and plating in our What Magnet Coating Should I Use? article.
4. Where does neodymium come from?
Neodymium is primarily extracted from rare earth mineral deposits in China, the United States, Australia, and Vietnam. China currently dominates global production, supplying over 80% of rare earth materials. Mining and refining neodymium involve complex chemical processes. Due to environmental concerns, efforts are being made to recycle neodymium from old electronics and electric motors.
5. N54 and N55 strongest grades of neodymium magnets
Are N54/N55 grade neodymium magnets the strongest magnets available?
The answer is yes and no. While N54 and N55 neodymium magnets do exist in theory and some applications, they remain largely theoretical in nature as the manufacturing process and technology have still not yet been able to overcome demagnetization from heat and external magnetic fields for normal commercial use. In addition, there is still little data available as far as coercivity and other physical properties.
For this reason, K&J Magnetics has not yet considered the sale of grade N54 and N55 magnets until they have more proven results as we need to ensure reliability of our products for all customers. While N54 and N55 are still marginally stronger than N52 grade neodymium magnets, the risks associated with demagnetization are not worth it for the nominal strength gains of a theoretical 6-8%.
Therefore, until the newest N54 and N55 grade neodymium magnets have a more proven track record, we recommend the tried and true N52 magnet grade which offers nearly the same strength without the risks.
You can learn more about magnet grades in our Magnet Grades article and view our current lineup of the strongest available grade n52 neodymium rare earth magnets below or request a custom neodymium magnet quote if we do not stock the grade or spec you need.
6. Most common uses for neodymium magnets
Neodymium magnets are used in a wide variety of application across nearly every industry. Below are just a few examples of where neodymium magnets are being utilized:
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Electronics - Hard drives, headphones, microphones, speakers, smart phones and more
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Medical Devices - MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines and other medical devices
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Renewable Energy - Wind turbines and electric vehicle motors
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Industrial Applications - Magnetic separators, lifting magnets, magnetic sweepers, filter rod magnets, various sensors, etc.
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Levitation - Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains, electromagnetic levitation and superconductor levitation
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Space Exploration - NASA utilizes neodymium magnets in various spacecraft components
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Hobby and DIY Uses - Recreational goods and accessories, models and miniatures, magnetic picture frames and art hanging, science experiments and home DIY projects make use of neodymium magnets
You can learn more about additional applications in our Magnets Are Everywhere article or our Common Uses for Neodymium Magnets page.
