Read More: In 1901, Edison already had a battery for electric cars that could change everything: the forgotten invention that today is once again challenging lithium<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn practical terms, that means a materials problem hidden inside the motor can ripple outward to factory costs, industrial planning, and eventually the technologies people rely on every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI turned a mountain of papers into a materials map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The team started with a reading task no ordinary lab could do at any reasonable speed. According to the study, the researchers compiled 100,000 article identifiers from Elsevier and American Physical Society journals, then used large language models and custom parsing tools to pull out magnetic, chemical, and structural data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That process fed a database with 67,573 entries, 84 different elements, and 15 material features, from crystal structure to coercivity and magnetization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One reason the database matters is that heat is a deal-breaker for magnets. NEMAD tracks Curie temperature, the point where a material loses its magnetic ordering, which is crucial for parts that must keep working in hot conditions such as EV motors and generators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lead author Suman Itani said the aim is to “reduce dependence on rare-earth elements,” while also helping cut costs for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The models then moved from sorting data to making predictions. They reached 90% accuracy when classifying materials as ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, or non-magnetic, and the best Curie temperature model achieved an R\u00b2 of 0.87 with a mean absolute error of 56 kelvin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the strongest hits was GaFe2Co4Si, a predicted ferromagnetic candidate with a Curie temperature of about 1,005 kelvin, or roughly 732 degrees Celsius (about 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ai-finds-rare-earth-free-magnet-evs-wind-power-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Artificial intelligence is helping researchers design powerful new magnets without rare earth elements, a breakthrough that could lower costs for clean energy technology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy cleaner tech keeps running into a magnet problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Permanent magnets are small components with outsized importance. The IEA says rare earth elements are essential for magnets used in wind turbines and EV motors, and DOE says the auto industry expects internal permanent magnet motors to remain dominant in electric drive vehicles over the next decade because they combine high power density with strong efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is why this story is bigger than a lab curiosity, even if most consumers never think about the magnet behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: China has just launched a hydroelectric \u201cbeast\u201d in Tibet that generates 11 billion kWh per year, and whose dam, at 295 meters high, is almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBut there is a supply chain problem hanging over all of this. The IEA says the average market share of the top three refining nations for key energy minerals rose from about 82% in 2020 to 86% in 2024, with China responsible for supply growth in rare earth refining, and its 2025 outlook says China is still on track to supply around 80% of refined rare earths in 2035. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
USGS data<\/a> also show China accounted for 71% of U.S. imports of rare-earth compounds and metals in 2021 through 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe weak point is not just concentration on paper, but how exposed the system becomes when something goes wrong. In an IEA stress test that removes the largest supplier from the balance, remaining rare-earth supply in 2035 would cover only 35 to 40% of the demand outside that supplier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add in the fact that USGS says recycling still recovers only limited quantities of rare earths from batteries, permanent magnets, and fluorescent lamps, and the bottleneck starts to look a lot more real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A promising shortcut, not a finished solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Still, this is not a miracle material story, at least not yet. The compounds identified by the model are candidates that still need experimental verification, and that distinction matters because predicted performance on paper does not automatically translate into manufacturable, durable, low-cost magnets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jiadong Zang described the search for sustainable permanent magnet alternatives as “one of the most difficult challenges in materials science,” which is a useful reminder to keep expectations grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, the results already look more substantial than a random guess. The study says 7 of the screened high-probability compounds were later found in the literature with experimentally reported magnetic ordering temperatures, which supports the model, while the remaining 25 still stand as new experimental targets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: The James Webb Space Telescope detected strange red spots in the early universe, and now a study suggests that they were not galaxies, but young black holes growing at a breakneck pace<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn other words, AI is not replacing the lab here\u2014it is acting like a map that tells researchers where to look first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That may be the most important part of this whole story, because the researchers say the same LLM-based approach could also be adapted to other materials fields, including superconducting, thermoelectric, photovoltaic, and ferroelectric materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If even a handful of these candidates survive real-world testing, they could help reduce pressure on rare-earth inputs, diversify supply for motors and generators, and give the clean-energy transition a little more room to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study was published in Nature Communications<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What if one of the biggest obstacles to cleaner cars and cheaper wind power is not the battery, but the … <\/p>\n
Why cleaner tech keeps running into a magnet problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Permanent magnets are small components with outsized importance. The IEA says rare earth elements are essential for magnets used in wind turbines and EV motors, and DOE says the auto industry expects internal permanent magnet motors to remain dominant in electric drive vehicles over the next decade because they combine high power density with strong efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is why this story is bigger than a lab curiosity, even if most consumers never think about the magnet behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More: China has just launched a hydroelectric \u201cbeast\u201d in Tibet that generates 11 billion kWh per year, and whose dam, at 295 meters high, is almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBut there is a supply chain problem hanging over all of this. The IEA says the average market share of the top three refining nations for key energy minerals rose from about 82% in 2020 to 86% in 2024, with China responsible for supply growth in rare earth refining, and its 2025 outlook says China is still on track to supply around 80% of refined rare earths in 2035. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
USGS data<\/a> also show China accounted for 71% of U.S. imports of rare-earth compounds and metals in 2021 through 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe weak point is not just concentration on paper, but how exposed the system becomes when something goes wrong. In an IEA stress test that removes the largest supplier from the balance, remaining rare-earth supply in 2035 would cover only 35 to 40% of the demand outside that supplier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add in the fact that USGS says recycling still recovers only limited quantities of rare earths from batteries, permanent magnets, and fluorescent lamps, and the bottleneck starts to look a lot more real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A promising shortcut, not a finished solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Still, this is not a miracle material story, at least not yet. The compounds identified by the model are candidates that still need experimental verification, and that distinction matters because predicted performance on paper does not automatically translate into manufacturable, durable, low-cost magnets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jiadong Zang described the search for sustainable permanent magnet alternatives as “one of the most difficult challenges in materials science,” which is a useful reminder to keep expectations grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, the results already look more substantial than a random guess. The study says 7 of the screened high-probability compounds were later found in the literature with experimentally reported magnetic ordering temperatures, which supports the model, while the remaining 25 still stand as new experimental targets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nRead More: The James Webb Space Telescope detected strange red spots in the early universe, and now a study suggests that they were not galaxies, but young black holes growing at a breakneck pace<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn other words, AI is not replacing the lab here\u2014it is acting like a map that tells researchers where to look first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That may be the most important part of this whole story, because the researchers say the same LLM-based approach could also be adapted to other materials fields, including superconducting, thermoelectric, photovoltaic, and ferroelectric materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If even a handful of these candidates survive real-world testing, they could help reduce pressure on rare-earth inputs, diversify supply for motors and generators, and give the clean-energy transition a little more room to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study was published in Nature Communications<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What if one of the biggest obstacles to cleaner cars and cheaper wind power is not the battery, but the … <\/p>\n
The weak point is not just concentration on paper, but how exposed the system becomes when something goes wrong. In an IEA stress test that removes the largest supplier from the balance, remaining rare-earth supply in 2035 would cover only 35 to 40% of the demand outside that supplier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Add in the fact that USGS says recycling still recovers only limited quantities of rare earths from batteries, permanent magnets, and fluorescent lamps, and the bottleneck starts to look a lot more real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A promising shortcut, not a finished solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Still, this is not a miracle material story, at least not yet. The compounds identified by the model are candidates that still need experimental verification, and that distinction matters because predicted performance on paper does not automatically translate into manufacturable, durable, low-cost magnets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jiadong Zang described the search for sustainable permanent magnet alternatives as “one of the most difficult challenges in materials science,” which is a useful reminder to keep expectations grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, the results already look more substantial than a random guess. The study says 7 of the screened high-probability compounds were later found in the literature with experimentally reported magnetic ordering temperatures, which supports the model, while the remaining 25 still stand as new experimental targets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read More: The James Webb Space Telescope detected strange red spots in the early universe, and now a study suggests that they were not galaxies, but young black holes growing at a breakneck pace<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn other words, AI is not replacing the lab here\u2014it is acting like a map that tells researchers where to look first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That may be the most important part of this whole story, because the researchers say the same LLM-based approach could also be adapted to other materials fields, including superconducting, thermoelectric, photovoltaic, and ferroelectric materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If even a handful of these candidates survive real-world testing, they could help reduce pressure on rare-earth inputs, diversify supply for motors and generators, and give the clean-energy transition a little more room to breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study was published in Nature Communications<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What if one of the biggest obstacles to cleaner cars and cheaper wind power is not the battery, but the … <\/p>\n
What if one of the biggest obstacles to cleaner cars and cheaper wind power is not the battery, but the … <\/p>\n