Summary of The Hunt for a New Kind of Magnet to Power the Future | Bloomberg Primer

The video discusses the critical role of Magnets in modern technology, particularly in clean energy solutions, and highlights the challenges and innovations in magnet research and development.

Key Scientific Concepts and Discoveries:

• Importance of Magnets: Magnets are integral to various technologies, including hard drives, smartphones, Electric Vehicles (EVs), and wind turbines.
• Permanent vs. Electromagnets:
  • Permanent Magnets: Naturally magnetic materials.
  • Electromagnets: Become magnetic when electric current flows.
• Clean Energy Technologies: Magnets are essential for the functioning of electric motors in EVs and the generation of electricity in wind turbines.
• Rare Earth Metals: Current permanent Magnets often rely on Rare Earth Metals like neodymium, predominantly sourced from China, raising supply chain concerns.
• Iron Nitride Magnets: A new type of magnet being developed that uses iron and nitrogen, abundant elements, potentially reducing reliance on rare earths.
• Superconducting Magnets: These Magnets have zero electrical resistance, making them highly efficient for applications like Nuclear Fusion.
• Nuclear Fusion: A process mimicking the sun's energy production, requiring advanced magnetic systems to contain superheated plasma.

Methodology and Innovations:

• Development of Iron Nitride Magnets:
  • Focus on creating a stable molecular structure for iron nitride.
  • Use of nanoparticles and engineering techniques to enhance magnetic properties.
• Creation of High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS):
  • Development of superconducting Magnets that can operate at higher temperatures than traditional superconductors, reducing size and cost.
  • Implementation of innovative manufacturing processes for magnet production.

Challenges:

• Establishing a new supply chain for rare earth elements outside of China.
• Overcoming technical difficulties in scaling up the production of new magnet materials.
• Proving the viability of Nuclear Fusion as a sustainable energy source.

Featured Researchers and Sources:

• Carlijn Mulder: Magnet scientist focused on developing stronger Magnets.
• Jian-Ping Wang: Professor at the University of Minnesota working on iron nitride Magnets.
• Daniel Davis: Research faculty at the National High Magnetic Field Lab specializing in superconducting Magnets.
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems: A company working on fusion technology using advanced Magnets.
• Breakthrough Energy Ventures: A venture capital firm investing in clean energy startups, including Nuclear Fusion companies.

Notable Quotes

— 01:27 — « Which country controls the magnetism, controls the world. »

— 08:11 — « Magnetism is magic, still is magic to me, same as when I was a college student. »

— 12:11 — « The area that's different to, I would say, rare earth materials today is it has more moderate, what we call coercivity, which is its resistance to demagnetization. »

— 22:43 — « Nuclear fusion evokes this idealism because the potential of free clean energy is enormous, but it is also an idealism because the dream of actually having that is quite far. »

— 23:31 — « It's invisible forces at play that can make such a big impact on the world. »

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Science and Nature

Video