ULVAC Reduces Dysprosium Use for Rare Earth Magnet

Japanese major maker of vacuum equipment and related products, ULVAC announced the firm starts commercial sale of productive equipment for rare earth magnet. The equipment contributes to less consumption of dysprosium, which is added in rare earth magnet for higher performance. Dysprosium consumption can be reduced by 80% for high magnetic force grade and by 30% for high heat resistance grade. The firm plans to sell 5 units in fiscal 2008 started April and 15 units per year in and after fiscal 2010.For neodymium-iron-boron magnets, heavy rare earths including dysprosium are used as additives mainly for higher heat resistance. The major method is to diffuse dysprosium into magnet grain boundaries.ULVAC developed a new diffusing method with an advantage of its vacuum technology, to generate metallic vapor of dysprosium in a vacuum atmosphere and spread dysprosium atoms into grain boundaries.