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Magnetics

Magnetically hard materials

Calibration and measurements

Hard magnetic materials, also referred to as permanent magnets, are magnetic materials that retain their magnetism. They are used in a number of industrial applications, such as hybrid and electric motors used in the automotive and aerospace industries, where their properties are important and calibration is required.

We can determine the remanence, coercivity, maximum energy product and demagnetisation curve of a range of magnetically hard materials, up to 3 T and in accordance with IEC 60404 Part 5, for materials including:

  • Conventional metal magnets, such as alnico and alcomax
  • Ferrites
  • Cobalt platinum
  • Rare earth cobalt
  • Neodymium iron boron

The magnetic moment of permanent magnets is used for 100 % quality control when the magnets are used in safety critical situations. The measurement method is electrical and the calibration of the individual instruments is costly and often not convenient. A reference magnet can therefore be calibrated at NPL and be used to provide a routine check of customer systems.

To characterise the strongest NdFeB magnets, NPL also has a pulsed field magnetometer system that can achieve a peak magnetic flux density of approximately 6.5 T. This system also allows for real-world shaped magnets to be characterised over a temperature range of 20 °C to 200 °C.  

Don’t see what you are looking for? Our diverse skill set enables us to provide bespoke solutions. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

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