University of Limpopo Researchers Find Gadolinium Could Raise Rare-Earth Magnet Curie Temperature to 710 Kelvin

Highlights

• Computer models predict gadolinium substitution raises the Curie temperature of NdFeB magnets from 296°C to 437°C, improving heat resistance.
• The gadolinium-modified material showed a calculated magnetic moment roughly 22% lower, revealing a trade-off between heat resistance and magnetic strength.
• Cerium substitution performed poorly, lowering the predicted Curie temperature to 222°C while the material remained brittle.
• Findings are based solely on computer simulations; no physical magnets were built or tested under real operating conditions.
• Replacing neodymium with gadolinium does not eliminate dependence on China's rare earth refining and magnet supply chains.