Developing Substitutes

As CMI begins its 13th year of operation in 2025, the CMI focus area Developing Substitutes will conduct research around the themes of Materials Discovery and Maturation, Energy-Efficient Rare Earth Metals Production and Novel Processing. For questions or more information, please contact cmidirector@ameslab.gov.

News & Highlights

All News | All Highlights

Research Highlight

CMI poster “Accelerated computational design of permanent magnet motors using less critical magnets” wins Best Poster Award–MMM 2025

Research Highlight

Bypassing electrolysis: one-step calciothermic route from Nd2O3 to Nd2Fe14B

Research Projects

CMI Project 2.1.1 Novel chemistry and processes to enable nanostructures for permanent magnets

CMI Project 2.1.2 Accelerated discovery and development of low-cost, low-criticality competitor to the Nd2Fe14B-based magnets

CMI Project 2.1.3 Systems level modeling and prototyping

CMI Project 2.2.5 Bypassing electrolysis: one-step calciothermic route to NdFeB powders from Nd2O3

CMI Project 2.2.6 Energy-efficient metallothermic reduction of rare earths

CMI Project 2.2.8 A novel ‘continuous’ reactor for molten salt electrowinning of neodymium metal enabling low-cost and scalable domestic metal production

Developing Substitutes

News & Highlights

CMI leaders, technologies win R&D 100 Awards

High coercivity rare-earth-free Fe5C2 nanorods

CMI-developed LaNd magnet patented