Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy Ames Laboratory in Iowa have discovered rare-earth-like magnetic properties in iron under some special circumstances, which may provide a new and more available ingredient for manufacturing electric motors and generators. The discovery opens the possibility of using iron to provide both the magnetism and permanence in high-strength permanent magnets, which are currently used for hybrid cars motors. There, electromagnets and permanent magnets transform electricity into mechanical movement. Iron gives those magnets their strength, but it still needs rare-earth elements to be transformed into an industrial magnet. The challenge here is the actual rare-earth minerals, which are expensive and are not found in large quantities to meet the demand. However, Ames Laboratory physicist Paul Canfield and his team suggest that iron can be magnetized using nitrogen. he indicated tat this is not an industrial breakthrough at this point because these magnetic properties only reveal themselves at cryogenic temperatures. But, it is a basic science breakthrough that hopefully will point the way to future technical breakthroughs.
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