Advanced materials for magnets in applications for the New Energies Market (RIA)

Proposals should address at least four of the following activities:

• The deployment of permanent-magnets in the energy (e.g. wind-turbine engines for power generation) is of major importance for reaching the green deal ambitions. To achieve this whilst reducing Europe's dependency on Critical Raw Materials, the rare-earth metals for magnets shall be replaced or reduced with inexpensive and non-critical materials.
• Designing new rare-earth-free permanent magnetic materials (PMM) to replace high performing but critically restrained rare-earth-based PMM could be based for example on new Mn-Bi alloys, other material compositions could also be proposed. As an alternative strategy, composite magnetic materials could be developed. Rare earth-free magnets for turbines with good efficiency levels were already developed and could be further adopted. Projects must demonstrate 50% enhanced magnetic performance (energy products above 55 kJ/m³) with respect to commercial ferrites.
• Alternatively, the redesigning of rare-earth magnets such as NdFeB magnets should provide for advanced materials where rare-earth metals such as Nd are (partially) replaced. These doped perovskite manganite oxide nanostructures should have the potential to achieve similar or improved magnetic properties such compared to as NdFeB magnets.
• Advanced material models and simulation tools to extend the usage range of the current critical materials and shorten the development and certification cycle of new materials and processes.
• Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment (LCA/TEA) will analyse the economic relevance of the new advanced materials for magnets. This will also address aspects of circularity, and end-of-life aspects. Strategies for the recycling of the new advanced materials will support the whole design process.
• Delivering a scaling will increase the production to an industrial level for advanced materials for magnets that are rare-earth metal free or where rare-earth metals are substituted.

To enable a fast development of new advanced materials, digital tools such as modelling, simulation and characterisation techniques (including those provided by analytical infrastructures) are under the scope, assisted by advanced methods e.g. physics-based methods, machine learning or artificial intelligence.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination.

Projects should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes and platforms.

An early involvement of SSH research and of end users appears essential.

Additionally, a strategy for skills development should be presented.

Where relevant, proposals should seek links with and capitalise on the results of past and ongoing EU funded research projects, including the ones under Cluster 5 “Climate, Energy, Mobility”.