In the future, it is unlikely that samarium cobalt magnets will completely replace neodymium iron boron magnets. The two will play their respective advantages in different fields for the following reasons:
Performance
NdFeB magnets: Known as the “king of magnets”, the magnetic strength is stronger than that of samarium cobalt magnets. The magnetic strength of a commonly used 25mm magnetic bar can reach 12,000 gauss, while the maximum strength of samarium cobalt magnets is 10,000 gauss.
SmCo magnets: have a higher operating temperature, up to 350°C, and the maximum temperature resistance of neodymium iron boron magnets is 220°C. The remanent magnetism temperature coefficient of samarium cobalt magnets is small, and the temperature stability and chemical stability are higher than those of neodymium iron boron permanent magnet materials.
Price
NdFeB magnets: The proportion of rare earth elements neodymium and boron is small, and the price of iron is cheap, so its price is relatively cheap.
SmCo magnets: The content of rare earth elements samarium and cobalt accounts for a high proportion, and the cost of raw materials is high, so the price is relatively expensive.
Application fields
NdFeB magnets: They are widely used in new energy vehicles, variable frequency air conditioners, wind power generation, industrial automation, smart consumer electronics and other fields. These fields have high requirements for magnetism and work at room temperature or relatively low temperature. NdFeB magnets are more cost-effective.
Samarium cobalt magnets: They are mainly used in aerospace, national defense, microwave devices, communications, medical equipment, instrumentation and other fields. These fields have strict requirements on the high temperature resistance and stability of materials and are not sensitive to prices. Samarium cobalt magnets are more suitable.
Development trend
With the development of science and technology, although samarium cobalt magnets are constantly developing and their application fields may be expanded, neodymium iron boron magnets are also constantly improving and innovating, such as improving temperature resistance and reducing costs. Moreover, in some emerging fields, such as robots and smart homes, both have their own application space, and it is difficult for one party to completely replace the other.