Highlights
- Baogang Group’s research division developed a novel high-performance, low-temperature high-entropy amorphous alloy for advanced magnetic refrigeration applications.
- The new alloy enables precise temperature control between −225°C and −95°C.
- Potential breakthrough applications in:
- Quantum computing
- Deep space exploration
- Cryogenic engineering
- The innovation represents a strategic advancement in China’s rare earth technology leadership.
- Signals potential global implications for next-generation cooling technologies.
On March 31, 2025, Baogang Group announced (opens in a new tab) a scientificbreakthrough by its rare earth research division: the development of a new high-performance, low-temperature high-entropy amorphous alloy. The material, designed for advanced magnetic refrigeration applications, could contribute to the next generation of high-efficiency cooling technologies. The discovery was the result of collaboration between the Baotou Rare Earth Research Institute (opens in a new tab) and Baotou Normal University.
Introduction to the Technology Breakthrough
Magnetic refrigeration is an emerging technology based on the magnetocaloric effect—a phenomenon where magnetic materials change temperature in response to a shifting magnetic field. Unlike traditional gas-based refrigeration systems, magnetic refrigeration systems can operate without refrigerants, offering higher energy efficiency, quiet operation, and precise temperature control. These systems are particularly useful in high-tech sectors such as quantum computing, deep space exploration, superconducting systems, biomedical cryostorage, precision optics, and semiconductor manufacturing.
According to Gao Lei, a core member of the research team at the Magnetic Refrigeration Engineering Technology Research Center, the newly developed alloy overcomes a long-standing limitation in the field. Traditional magnetocaloric materials often face trade-offs between performance, cost, and operating temperature range. In contrast, high-entropy amorphous alloys—materials with highly disordered atomic structures and multi-element compositions—offer unique thermodynamic properties that can break through those limitations. The team’s innovation allows for synchronized control of spin-glass states and second-order magnetic phase transitions, achieving exceptional magnetocaloric performance between −225°C and −95°C. This positions the alloy as a candidate material for liquid hydrogen temperature-range refrigeration—a critical benchmark in deep cryogenic engineering.
Key technical challenges have long hindered the development of such alloys, including compositional design, amorphous-forming ability, and manufacturing complexity. To address this, Gao’s team developed novel composition-screening methods and overcame previous design bottlenecks. The success marks a rare advance in high-entropy material science and positions Baogang as a potential global innovator in the magnetocaloric space.
The announcement states that the next steps include scaling up production, enhancing industrialization capability, and moving toward commercialization of both the alloy and related refrigeration technologies. The team will focus on converting key technical achievements into market-ready solutions guided by demand in advanced applications.
Point of View—China’s Strategic Industrial Planning
While the release focuses on scientific and technological development, it is important to view this news within the broader context of China’s strategic industrial planning. Baogang Group is not a conventional commercial actor. It is a state-owned enterprise embedded within the CCP’s broader vision for rare earth self-sufficiency, technology leadership, and national security. The magnetic refrigeration breakthrough aligns with long-standing Chinese policy goals—especially those outlined in Made in China 2025 and related rare earth development plans that aim to dominate not just resource extraction but downstream innovation.
Unlike the heavily ideological tone common in other Baogang statements, this press release is relatively apolitical on the surface. However, the underlying structure reflects a state-directed innovation model: a university-industry alliance, a CCP-backed SOE lab, and a research narrative explicitly tied to solving critical bottlenecks in emerging technology. There is no mention of patents, peer-reviewed publications, or international collaboration—suggesting a domestic-first approach to commercialization and intellectual property.
The implications for the West are clear. China is continuing to advance rare-earth-based applications—not only in permanent magnets and EV batteries but now also in next-generation cooling, a key enabler for strategic sectors like quantum computing and cryogenics.
The advancement serves as a reminder that Western governments and companies must look beyond mining and refining if they wish to reduce rare earth dependency. Innovation, materials science, and applied R&D capacity must be built into Western industrial policy if supply chain resilience is to be meaningful.
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