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What are magnets made of?

Chris

2nd March 2020

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	What are magnets made of?


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			Magnets can be made of four different types of materials: alnico, ferrite, neodymium, or samarium cobalt.

			Alnico
			Alnico magnets are made of a combination of aluminium, nickel, cobalt, iron and copper.

			They can be identified by their traditional red coating; all except for a channel horseshoe magnet which is used for industrial uses, so does not require a coating. For more information on channel horseshoe magnets, see our page: What is a channel horseshoe magnet?

			ADVANTAGES			DISADVANTAGES
				Operates at temperatures as high as 850°C Corrosion resistant			Can only be made into horseshoes magnets and long thin cylinder magnets They are self demagnetising. For more information on this, see: Magnets glossary


			Ferrite
			Ferrite is strontium hexaferrite SrO-6 (Fe203), which is an alloy made of strontium carbonate and iron oxide.

			Ferrite magnets are also known as ‘ceramic magnets’ due to their brittle nature being very similar to porcelain.

			One type of ferrite magnet is a flexible magnet. This is where the alloy of strontium carbonate and iron oxide is mixed with rubber to make a magnet which can be coiled into a 6.35mm (0.25″) to 25mm (0.98″) radius without damaging the magnetic abilities of the magnet. For more information see our section: Flexible magnets

			ADVANTAGES			DISADVANTAGES
				Cheap to manufacture Can work in high temperatures Corrosion resistant Low cost			Hard and brittle so can break easily Demagnetises at -10°C to -20°C


			Neodymium iron boron (NdFeB)
			Neodymium magnets are made up of an alloy containing neodymium, iron, and boron.

			They are the most common type of magnet available as they can produce the strongest magnetic field in a very small area due to the materials that make up the magnet being a stronger combination than any other. Due to the magnetic force they produce, neodymium magnets can be used for any type of magnet from magnetic sweepers to magnetic discs.

			ADVANTAGES			DISADVANTAGES
				Strongest magnet available			They corrode quickly, unless they are coated, due to their iron content They start to demagnetise at anything above 80°C


			Samarium cobalt (SmCo)
			Samarium cobalt magnets are an alloy of samarium and cobalt but can sometimes contain a small amount of either iron, copper, hafnium, zirconium, or praseodymium.



			Samarium cobalt magnets are usually made into magnetic discs, bar magnets and pot magnets.

			ADVANTAGES			DISADVANTAGES
				Work at high temperatures, even at 300°C Highly corrosion resistant so can be used under water			Are very brittle magnets so can chip and break easily Expensive due to their cobalt content

			Which type should you choose?
			If there is an option of different types of magnetic material to choose from, for example when selecting a magnetic disc, the best type to choose would be a neodymium magnet. This is because this magnet is the most powerful type available so is able to cope with a wider range of tasks than the other magnets.

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What are magnets made of?

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