AI discovers new rare-earth-free magnet at 200 times the speed of man

New Atlas ^ | June 12, 2024 | C.C. Weiss

[Red Badger]

As some entities identify new (or at least overlooked) sources to meet the growing demand for rare earth materials, others are looking toward new tools. UK deep-tech company Materials Nexus announced on Tuesday that it has designed a new rare-earth-free permanent magnet with the help of its AI platform. It says the AI-driven discovery and development process was 200 times faster than the resource-intensive manual route, bringing new hope to an electrifying world with a growing appetite for powerful magnets.

With the world moving away from internal combustion engines and gradually embracing electric mobility, the demand for compact, high-power motors is rapidly rising. By far the most popular option in the automotive industry right now is the permanent magnet motor, which powers upward of 80% of modern electric vehicles.

Materials Nexus estimates that demand for permanent magnets will grow tenfold by 2030, in the EV industry alone. And it's not just electric cars and trucks, either. Permanent magnet motors are in demand for many applications, including robotics, drones, wind turbines and HVAC equipment.

The problem is, the rare earth materials used to create the most powerful magnets and most efficient, power-dense motors – materials like neodymium and dysprosium – require damaging mining and expensive, energy-intensive processing. With its world-largest EV market, China has emerged as a leader in both mining and processing of rare earths, pulling as much as 70% of the world's rare earths out of the ground while processing closer to 90%. That gives the country monopoly-like control over the essential materials, leaving other markets exposed to supply disruptions and pricing fluctuations.

The search for alternatives is on, and some automakers and suppliers are starting to develop and incorporate magnet-free motors. Others, including Tesla, are pursuing permanent magnet designs free from rare-earth materials.

[Red Badger]

It’s all fluxed up................

[Migraine]

“Well I’m a-runnin’ down the road tryin-a loosen my load...”

[Salman]

It's people doing the discovery (using AI).

You might as well say my screwdriver assembled my end table faster than man (meaning myself without the screwdriver).

But journalists like it gee-whiz-and-spooky, don't they?

[Red Badger]

😂..........................

[butlerweave]

Now AI will move forward and discover the SAME magnet again and again and again ,LOL

[Rio]

>> How fast is the speed of man?
African or North American?

...and laden with a coconut or no?

[PermaRag]

"It's people doing the discovery (using AI).

You might as well say my screwdriver assembled my end table faster than man (meaning myself without the screwdriver)."

AI are nothing but computer programs, programmed by humans.

I could do the historical newbie programming exercise of simply displaying "Hello, World" on a screen, then gush about the "AI" I had just invented!!

Which put words!!

On a screen!!

All by itself!!

[Demiurge2]

I know the headline was cut short, but I actually like it better...

[Gaffer]

Idiot author writing an idiot article.

[Gene Eric]

lol

[dljordan]

“With the world moving away from internal combustion engines and gradually embracing electric mobility”

Yeah, right.

[Red Badger]

Gradually, as in Tectonics..................

[MeanWestTexan]

Laden or unladen?

[Robert DeLong]

They weren’t overlooked, they were just impossible to catch them magnets. 🤣

[fruser1]

Not as good as my magnet at divided by the Plank length of Pangolins.

[cymbeline]

The motors aren’t the problem. They’re already great at what they do.

[Gene Eric]

lol

[mikrofon]

The only “speed” you can associate with Biden is the juice they give him to look alive at major events like the SOTU …

[catnipman]

“and still isn’t quite ready for mass production”

that was always the current status of all magic battery companies for the last 50 years, that is, until 99.9% went bankrupt ...

looks like the magic magnet industry has hopped onto the “still isn’t quite ready for mass production” bandwagon as well ...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger.

I wonder if muography (via an interferometry technique) would work for mapping the interior of the Earth? Guess I'll have to ask a robot.

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