What are magnets made of?

Magnets can be made from four different materials: Alnico, Ferrite, Neodymium or Samarium Cobalt.
alnico
	Alnico magnets are made from a combination of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, iron and copper.
	They can be recognized by their traditional red coating; everything except the horseshoe magnet, which is used in industry and does not require coating. For more information about channel horseshoe magnets, see our page: What is a channel horseshoe magnet?

	ADVANTAGES		НЕДОСТАТКИ
	Operates at temperatures up to 850°C Corrosion resistant	Only horseshoe magnets and long thin cylindrical magnets can be made. They self demagnetize. For more information on this see: Glossary of magnets

ADVANTAGES		НЕДОСТАТКИ
	Cheap to manufacture Can work at high temperatures Corrosion resistant Budgetary	Hard and brittle, so can break easily Demagnetizes from -10°C to -20°C

Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB)
	Neodymium magnets are made from an alloy containing neodymium, iron and boron.
	They are the most common type of magnets as they can create the strongest magnetic field in a very small area due to the fact that the materials that make up the magnet are 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 brushes to magnetic discs.

ADVANTAGES		НЕДОСТАТКИ
	Strongest magnet available	They corrode quickly if not coated due to their iron content. They begin to demagnetize at temperatures above 80°C.

ADVANTAGES		НЕДОСТАТКИ
	Operation at high temperatures, even at 300°C It has high corrosion resistance, so it can be used underwater.	Magnets are very brittle and break easily. Expensive due to cobalt content

Which type to choose?
	If there is a choice of different types of magnetic material, for example when choosing a magnetic disk, the best type to choose would be a neodymium magnet. This is because this magnet is the most powerful type available, so it is capable of handling a wider range of applications than other magnets.

Posted

February 22 2023

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