Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS
MaRS - Critical Materials lean Magnets by Recycling and Substitution
Magnets with reduced content of critical materials through recycling and substitution
High-performance permanent magnets are indispensable in today's everyday life and their areas of use are diverse, from applications in information technology, to motors for electromobility, to power generation in wind turbines.
Two types of magnets are generally used on an industrial scale: Inexpensive but low-power ferrite magnets and expensive but powerful rare earth-based magnets. Since rare earths are classified as very critical in terms of European supply and primary mining, the search for ecologically favorable alternative materials is the subject of scientific research. The aim of the MaRS project is therefore to close the current material gap between high-performance and low-power permanent magnets with sustainable and green magnets. To this end, the project partners Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS are pooling their synthesis and analysis expertise to make new sustainable magnet materials available to industry.
In the project, two strategies are being pursued in parallel to increase the sustainability of permanent magnets:
- Substitution: Sustainable synthesis of alternative rare-earth-free permanent magnets without critical elements based on the Fe-P, Fe-N Fe-Ni, Mn-Al systems.
- Recycling: reprocessing of contaminated old magnets containing rare earths.
The project is investigating various synthesis techniques for the stabilization of phases and the production of polycrystalline permanent magnets. These include rapid solidification technologies, nanopowder synthesis and controlled solid-state nitriding. For the recycling path, sustainable metallurgical processes are being tested to process contaminated used magnets using plasma-assisted melting and cleaning steps. MaRS will receive funding from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the Max Planck Society over the planned duration of 3 years.