A new process emerges, significantly reducing the production cost of NdFeB magnets.

Recently, the "Rare Earth Gradient Allocation" new process jointly developed by Zhongke Sanhuan and the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been officially implemented. According to calculations by a third-party organization, this process can reduce the overall production cost of NdFeB magnets by 28%, offering a brand-new solution for the industry to tackle the challenge of "rare earth dependency."

In traditional processes, NdFeB magnets require uniform doping with 15%-20% heavy rare earth elements to ensure magnetic performance, with raw material costs accounting for over 65% of the total. The newly developed process utilizes a magnetic field-induced directional diffusion technology for rare earth elements, forming a 5-8 micrometer high-concentration heavy rare earth enrichment layer on the magnet surface while reducing the heavy rare earth content in the core region to below 5%. Laboratory data shows that, while maintaining a magnetic energy product of 52 MGOe, the heavy rare earth consumption per magnet is reduced by 42%.

The process innovatively employs a "low-temperature rapid solidification + zoned sintering" equipment combination, compressing the production cycle from the traditional 14 hours to 8 hours and reducing energy consumption by 35%. Additionally, through an online waste recycling system, the utilization rate of rare earth elements has been increased to 94%, 11 percentage points higher than the industry average. Currently, the first demonstration production line with an annual capacity of 3,000 tons has been put into operation in Ningbo, and the products have passed verification tests conducted by companies such as Tesla and Siemens.

"This breakthrough challenges the industry's perception that 'high performance necessitates high cost,'" stated an expert from the China Rare Earth Industry Association. Based on an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons, this process can save 1,200 tons of heavy rare earth resources annually and reduce production costs for enterprises by approximately 4.5 billion yuan. Relevant technologies have been granted 9 international patents and are expected to achieve industry-wide promotion and application by 2026.