Revolutionizing Magnet Production: MagNex and the Power of AI
London-based Materials Nexus, in collaboration with the Henry Royce Institute and The University of Sheffield, has developed MagNex, a permanent magnet free from rare-earth elements. The design was spearheaded by the company’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
Permanent magnets are integral to various technologies, including wind turbine rotors, drones, advanced robotics, and electric vehicles (EVs). As nations shift from fossil-fuel vehicles to EVs, the demand for these magnets is projected to surge by the decade’s end, potentially exceeding supply.
Traditional permanent magnets rely on rare-earth minerals like neodymium and dysprosium, which are scarce and susceptible to supply chain disruptions. Materials Nexus aims to tackle these challenges by creating innovative materials that can either replace current ones or reduce industrial emissions to net zero.
Overcoming Traditional Discovery Challenges
The advancement of clean energy hinges on the discovery of new materials. However, conventional material discovery is a slow and resource-heavy trial-and-error process. Materials Nexus seeks to revolutionize this process using powerful AI models capable of designing and testing new materials efficiently.
“The platform rapidly and systematically searches the periodic table for elemental combinations with the desired properties,” explained Jonathan Bean, CEO and co-founder of Materials Nexus. “Our data, generated in-house through quantum mechanical calculations, is more accurate and extensive than experimental data sets. This information is then processed through our machine learning algorithms for optimized formula modeling.”
The team applied their technology to develop rare-earth-free permanent magnets, analyzing over 100 million candidate material compositions. Within three months, they successfully produced MagNex at just 20% of the traditional material cost and 200 times faster than the conventional approach.
The Advantages of AI Integration
“We’re thrilled with the positive results from our collaboration with Materials Nexus,” stated Iain Todd, Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Processing at the University of Sheffield. “Combining Materials Nexus’s AI-driven discovery approach with our advanced facilities at the Henry Royce Institute has enabled the rapid development of a novel magnetic material.”
One significant benefit of this innovative approach is a 70% reduction in material carbon emissions compared to existing rare-earth magnets.
“AI-powered materials design is set to revolutionize not only magnetics but the entire field of materials science,” Bean remarked. “We have now identified a scalable method for designing new materials to meet diverse industrial needs.”
The search for MagNex took three months, and as the data set and capabilities expand, this process will become even more efficient. Materials Nexus’s platform has already garnered widespread interest for applications in semiconductors, catalysts, and coatings.
“I look forward to seeing how our platform will support market demand for novel materials, addressing pressing supply chain and environmental challenges,” Bean added.
In summary, the development of MagNex and the integration of AI in materials science mark significant strides towards a sustainable and innovative future in industrial production.
