Niron Magnetics Advances Rare Earth-Free Technology — But Commercialization at Scale Still Faces Key Hurdles

Highlights

• Niron Magnetics’ iron nitride magnets provide a domestic, environmentally friendly alternative to rare earth magnets.
• Technology developed by Dr. Jian-Ping Wang offers potential for U.S.-controlled magnet supply chain amid Chinese export controls.
• Full commercialization expected in late 2020s, with challenges in scaling production and meeting global industrial demand.

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Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) reports growing momentum for Niron Magnetics, a University of Minnesota spin-off commercializing iron nitride (Fe₁₆N₂) permanent magnets, an innovation pioneered by China-born scientist Dr. Jian-Ping Wang (opens in a new tab). As recently reported in Yahoo News (Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, April 25, 2025) and previously covered by REEx, this breakthrough offers a tantalizing alternative to rare earth magnets, which are currently dominated by Chinese supply chains.

Niron Magnetics’ “Clean Earth Magnet” technology is based on iron and nitrogen, both abundant and domestically sourced, offering the potential for a completely U.S.-controlled magnet supply chain. As China tightens export controls on critical rare earths, such as dysprosium and samarium, this development assumes even greater geopolitical significance. Niron asserts that its iron nitride magnets deliver superior magnetization properties while avoiding the environmental and political risks associated with rare earth mining and processing.

Years Away at Scale

However, despite the promise, REEx critically notes that full commercialization at global industrial scale remains several years away. Although Niron has broken ground on its first production facility in Minnesota and claims to use scalable, industry-proven equipment, the ramp-up from pilot batches to mass production capable of serving the electric vehicle, aerospace, and consumer electronics sectors will be a steep climb. Global magnet demand is projected to triple by 2035, but Niron’s technology must still prove consistency, volume output, and cost competitiveness before it can meaningfully challenge the entrenched rare earth magnet market.

Importantly, while Niron’s magnets excel at temperatures up to 200°C, certain high-temperature applications—including critical defense and aerospace uses—still require rare earth alloys like dysprosium-containing materials. Therefore, REEx emphasizes that iron nitride magnets represent a partial, not total, solution to rare earth supply chain risks.

While Niron’s Clean Earth Magnet innovation (opens in a new tab) marks an important step toward rare earth independence, a significant, immediate, large-scale impact is unlikely before the late 2020s. Strategic patience, further private investment, and parallel U.S. government support under recent Executive Orders on critical minerals will be essential to ensure that rare-earth-free solutions like Niron’s reach their full disruptive potential.

Front row, COO John Larson (seated), and U of M alumni employees of the company: Fan Zhang Ren. Back row: Sam Rahmani, Rich Greger, Xiaowei Zhang, Dustin Sprouse, Robert Brown, and Yiming Wu.