Today, we will look at a sustainable future using materials sciences.
A sustainable future using materials science can be achieved by developing new materials and technologies to help address climate change, dwindling resources, and pollution.
Transcripts
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Welcome back to the Borates Today podcast.
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Each week we cover news on boron and borates that's relevant
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to the industry and timely.
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With a range of topics, including the latest industry news we answer questions
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about the key players in the sector.
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We also look at the trends, driving demand and supply for boron and we
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discuss the science behind boron.
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Who's doing valuable research.
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How does borne help with decarbonisation with advanced energy?
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With food security and in providing nutrition.
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So don't forget to check out born applications and benefits on our website.
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borates.t oday.
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Today, we're going to look at a sustainable future
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using materials sciences.
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A sustainable future using materials science can be achieved through
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developing new materials and technologies that can help address climate change,
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dwindling resources and pollution.
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From smartphones to high-speed trains, many modern day products depend
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heavily on dwindling resources.
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The expectation of which has high environmental and economic expense.
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According to professor Liu, McDevitt chair of Physics at Georgetown
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University, we need a bigger toolbox to create greener technology that
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helps with a sustainable future.
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He says "it's fascinating as it's a completely new world.
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Also, we have the power to form up new materials at the atomic level,
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which possess novel properties besides those developed in their bulk forms.
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How is boron part of this future?
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Permanent magnets are used in various applications, including hybrid
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electric vehicles, magnetically levitated trains, power storage, wind
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turbines and consumer electronics.
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However, the rare earth elements they depend on are hard to
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mine and can be expensive.
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As a result, there's a critical need to develop replacements that use
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fewer or even no rare earth elements.
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Researchers hope that boron-based magnets will lower the carbon
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footprint in producing permanent magnets with similar properties to
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those made with rare earth elements.
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This advancement will make cutting edge technology accessible and an eco-friendly
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choice for many industrial applications.
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Neodymium magnets are one of the strongest types of permanent magnets.
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They're made from the neodymium, iron and boron and they have a very high
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resistance to heat and corrosion.
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These magnets are known for their Ferro-magnetic properties, which
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means they can be magnetized easily and hold onto their magnetism well.
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They're considered the most powerful magnets due to their smallest
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size, rare earth magnetic materials with a higher density per volume.
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Neodymium magnets make advancements in medicine and renewable energy
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production for a sustainable future.
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These magnets are super strong magnets that need low heat, high
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power sources, and are resistant to magnetic demagnetization.
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Hence they can be made in various shapes and They are versatile materials
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that can be used for almost anything.
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Data storage is another area where magnets may be useful.
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One area where researchers see the potential for significant improvement,
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is how we store data and computers.
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The density of magnetic recording media has dramatically increased in recent years
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thanks to advances in nanoscale magnets.
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The property that allows digital data to be stored in ever shrinking
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magnets is the tendency of each bit to sustain its magnetic moment,
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known as magnetic anisotropy.
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Present magnetic recording media have precious metals, which are
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expensive and unsustainable.
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Back to Professor Liu and Gen Yin who recently received a grant from the
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National Science Foundation to research magnetic recording media via high entropy
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routes to create novel magnetic alloys.
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These alloys include various elements and, surprisingly, they can form stable
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structures with improved properties.
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This approach will create novel phases for magnetic recording
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media applications that can not be obtained through conventional means.
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Liu is hopeful that his research on magnetic skyrmions, will lead to a new
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way of storing digital information.
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Tiny magnetic knots can be formed by incorporating typology into how
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nanoscale magnets are oriented.
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These nano magnets are excellent information carriers.
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Magnetic skyrmions are a type of quasi particle, having a whirling configuration.
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These nano-sized imbalances are made from a series of knotted inter-locking magnetic
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moments, invisible to the naked eye.
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A skyrmion's inter-locking nature provides topological protection and stability.
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By implementing a single layer of a hydrogen atom in an inert atmosphere
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onto the surface of a thin magnetic film, researchers introduced a new technique
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of writing and deleting skyrmions which corresponds to the one and zero states,
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respectively at room temperature.
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This is very useful as it's a non-contact way to write and remove information with
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no need for multiple electric leads.
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How is this relevant to industry?
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Mining extraction companies are getting involved in research projects as part
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of their commitment to understanding and communicating how minerals like
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boron can be used in new applications, not only for commercial advantage, but
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for Sustainability and Decarbonization, Advanced Energy, and Food Security.
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One such company is 5e Advanced Materials, who are building out the only recently
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permitted boron extraction resource globally, in Southern California.
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5e Advanced Materials aims to be a vertically integrated leader in the
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boron Advanced Materials', business.
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Boron products are in high demand for critical high value applications such as
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electric transportation, clean energy, food security, and permanent magnets.
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By sponsoring research into Professor Liu's research group, the company intends
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to be an active partner in providing strategic minerals for advanced energy.
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And that's all from Borates Today.
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For more information on topics related to boron and borates
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and sustainable materials, don't forget to check out our website.
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borates.today and our YouTube channel and podcasts .Thanks for listening
