Multi-property Compositionally Complex Magnets for Advanced Energy Applications
Project 101099736 — CoCoMag
The European Innovation Council funds a research project led by Technical University Darmstadt and partners from University of Seville (Spain), Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (Germany), Danube University Krems (Austria), Chalmers University of Technologies (Sweden) and companies Magnotherm (Germany), New Ideas 4.0 SRL (Italy) and AMEN New Technologies (Greece) with 3 million euros.
“The aim of the project is to synthesize, produce and test new alloys suitable for permanent magnets and magneto-caloric applications without using rare-earth elements and cobalt”. This step is crucial to accelerate the electrification of our infrastructures, explains Oliver Gutfleisch, professor for Functional Materials at the Technical University Darmstadt and coordinator of the new project. The researcher team consisting of eight partners from six European countries, proposes a novel concept for magnetic materials, by applying compositionally complex alloys (CCAs).
This concept is derived from the high-entropy alloys (HEAs) design strategy, which is a new alloying strategy that combines multiple principal elements in relatively high (often equiatomic) concentrations says partner Dr. D. Niarchos (AMEN and INN) who holds a worldwide patent on this idea. “The CCA concept does not have a strict limitation on the near equal ratio of the different elements, but provides a higher design freedom and enables developing sustainable magnets with excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and shapeability”, says Dr. Liuliu Han, project leader at the Max- Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, which is project partner, too.
The CoCoMag (Multi-property Compositionally Complex Magnets for Advanced Energy Applications) project is supported by the EIC “Pathfinder Open” funding line, which aims to identify radically new technologies that have the potential to create entirely new markets. To this end, visionary and high-risk projects are funded at an early stage of development.
The newly granted project paves the way for a disruptive change in the e-mobility and cooling sectors, which currently rely on rare-earth elements and cobalt – highly limited elements. New innovative magnets derived from compositionally complex alloys will be less costly, lower the negative ecological footprint and maximize targeted properties.
About AMEN NEW TECHNOLOGIES: AMEN is an SME focused on the research and development of innovative materials and technologies, from laboratory to industrial scale, with a mission to contribute to a greener planet. Committed to innovation and excellence, AMEN strives to advance the frontiers of permanent magnet materials, fostering transformative developments across various industries and has strong collaboration with INN, NCSR Demokritos.