Research-Initiatives

Permanent magnets are strategic materials for the energy turnaround; they are essential components in modern wind turbines and electromobility. High performance permanent magnets currently contain significant quantities of rare earth elements, which are mined under environmentally problematic conditions and, because of their limited availability, lead to market dependencies. In the LOEWE research cluster RESPONSE, scientists from the fields of material science, chemistry and mechanical engineering are seeking alternatives. They are taking advantage of new material concepts to develop innovative magnetic materials that, for example, make use of iron-cobalt alloys, manganese-based alloys and iron nitrides. The goal is to achieve a drastic reduction in the amount of critical rare earths used in permanent magnets or, if possible, to substitute them completely.