Vulcan Elements partners with reseachers on quantum-mechanical rare earth innovation
American rare earth magnet manufacturer Vulcan Elements has partnered with research organisation North Carolina Collaboratory to advance development of high-performance rare earth magnets for defence and commercial technology applications.
Particularly, research led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) chemistry professor Yosuke Kanai will help to develop a novel analytic capability using quantum-mechanical simulations to predict with significant accuracy how changes at the atomic level affect magnetic properties.
This will ultimately set a new standard for Vulcan's magnetic performance.
Vulcan says the partnership represents a convergence of two research fields that are foundational to national security and the future economy - rare earth magnets and quantum mechanics.
North Carolina Collaboratory is providing $600000 to support the application of of UNC-Chapel Hill's scientific expertise to advance rare earth magnet innovation. North Carolina Collaboratory works with academic experts across the state to transform research into practical applications for the benefit of North Carolina.
The organisation has since its inception in 2016 supported more than 800 research projects and managed more than $300-million in state appropriations.
Commenting on the research partnership, Vulcan CEO John Maslin says it is a model for the kind of public-private partnerships that the nation needs: generating cutting-edge breakthrough technologies and translating them into real-world manufacturing capabilities that deliver for the economy and national security.
Vulcan's Benson manufacturing facility is currently under construction in North Carolina, which is poised to be a cornerstone in the domestic rare earth magnet supply chain, and the largest rare earth magnet factory outside of China.
The 1.1-million square foot facility will have a yearly capacity of 10000 t of sintered neodymium magnets.
