The key difference between rare earth magnet and regular magnet is that rare earth magnets have a rare-earth element as the key component, whereas regular magnet has iron as the major element.
Rare earth magnets are strong, permanent magnets. When we use the term “regular magnets”, we usually talk about ceramic magnets. They get this name because we use them for regular purposes.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Rare Earth Magnet
3. What is Regular Magnet
4. Side by Side Comparison – Rare Earth Magnet vs Regular Magnet in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Rare Earth Magnet?
A rare earth magnet is a permanent magnet made of the alloys of rare-earth elements. These are the strongest among permanent magnets. Typically, these magnets have a magnetic field exceeding 1.4 Tesla. However, they are extremely brittle. Moreover, they undergo corrosion. Therefore we need to protect them by plating or coating the surface of the magnet. There are two types of rare earth magnets as follows:
- Neodymium magnets – contain neodymium, iron and boron. The alloy of the mentioned metals in this magnet is in the form of Nd2Fe14
- Samarium-cobalt magnets – basically contain samarium and cobalt. There are two types in the form of SmCo5 and Sm2Co17
Figure 01: Neodymium Magnet Balls
There are two reasons for the greater strength of these magnets. First, they have crystalline structures with very high magnetic anisotropy. Second, they have many unpaired electrons. However, this great magnetic field will cause hazards. It can even injure the body parts of humans.
What is Regular Magnet?
Regular magnets are the magnets we use for regular purposes. We generally use the term regular magnet to refer to ceramic (or ferrite) magnets. The major component in these magnets is ferrite. Ferrite is a ceramic material that mainly consists of iron(III) oxide. We blend this compound with some other metals such as barium, manganese, nickel and zinc. These components are ferromagnetic and electrically non-conductive.
Figure 02: A Bar Magnet
Moreover, these magnets have comparatively low remanence (strength of the magnetic field), and coercivity (material’s resistance to becoming demagnetized). Moreover, there are two types of ferrite magnets as hard ferrites and soft ferrites according to the coercivity (high and low, respectively). Apart from that, the energy product (density of magnetic energy) is also very low comparatively. But, the Curie temperature (the material at which the magnet loses its magnetism) of regular magnets is comparatively high.
What is the Difference Between Rare Earth Magnet and Regular Magnet?
A rare earth magnet is a permanent magnet made of the alloys of rare-earth elements while a regular magnet is a magnet we use for regular purposes. So, the key difference between rare earth magnet and regular magnet is that rare earth magnets have a rare-earth element as the key component, whereas regular magnet has iron as the major element. Moreover, rare earth magnets have comparatively very high remanence, coercivity and energy product than regular magnets. A further difference between rare earth magnet and regular magnet is that the curie temperature of rare earth magnets is very low, but in regular magnets, it is very high.
Summary – Rare Earth Magnet vs Regular Magnet
Rare earth magnets are permanent magnets made of the alloys of rare-earth elements while regular magnets are the magnets we use for regular purposes. So, the key difference between rare earth magnet and regular magnet is that rare earth magnets have a rare-earth element as the key component, whereas regular magnet has iron as the major element.
Reference:
1.“Rare-Earth Magnet.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 June 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Rare earth magnet toy” By Cskey – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Bar magnet” (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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