Hitachi has developed the first motor without any rare earth metals with a power of 11kw. The new motor made with amorphous iron and ferrite, has a reduced size compared to equivalent mid-sized models. The strongest magnets available today, used in the manufacture of wind turbines and motors for electric cars and other high-performance industrial applications are made from dysprosium and neodymium, two members of the rare earth family.
With China's almost exclusive dominance of these metals, the instability of prices and material availability is a constant concern. From 2008 Hitachi has a program to develop products without the presence of rare earth metals, when it presented a 150w motor. The research is carried out in partnership with the New Energy and Industrial Technologies Organization of Japan (NO, acronym in English).
Amorphous iron has a disordered atomic structure, unlike the crystalline structure of conventional metals and has a high tensile strength, in addition to conducting the magnetic flux very well with very small losses. Nonetheless, One of the problems with amorphous metal is the difficulty of cutting and machining at a low cost. Compared to engines in the same class, the new amorphous iron magnet motor is smaller, in addition to achieving an efficiency of approximately 93%, meeting the highest IEC standard (International Electrotechnical Commission).The company announced that it will place on the market a line of new engines without rare earths in 2014.
New Electric Motor: 93% of Efficiency!