High-performance permanent magnet materials based on CeFe12

CMI researchers from Ames National Laboratory conducted the activity for this highlight

Innovation
Discovery of Mo/Zr alloyed CeFe₁₂ as a potential low-cost permanent magnet material with potential energy products approaching 30 MG-Oe.

Achievement
Theoretical calculations followed by experiment find practical uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in Fe-rich “ThMn₁₂-structures” with ‘non-critical’ rare earth element(s) with sizable magnetic moments.

Significance and Impact
Adds additional materials to CMI suite of reduced-cost, reduced criticality permanent magnet materials. Demonstrates successful design of iron-rich permanent magnet materials.

Hub Target Addressed
Accelerated discovery and maturation.

diagram of a crystal structure — Crystal structure of CeFe12 in its tetragonal phase with uniaxial anisotropy and sizable DFT-calculated magnetic moments well above 10 kG.

N. Pokhrel, G.D. Samolyuk, A. Palasyuk and D.S. Parker, “High-performance permanent magnet materials based on CeFe₁₂ accepted in Phys. Rev. Mat. (2025) https://doi.org/10.1103/snv6-rd3c