美国不担心稀土卡脖子了？一个华裔科学家，帮他们搞了无稀土磁铁

Core Viewpoint - The United States has reportedly made a significant breakthrough in developing a new type of permanent magnet that does not require rare earth materials, led by a Chinese scientist, which raises questions about the U.S.'s ability to reduce its dependence on rare earth elements [2][11]. Group 1: Breakthrough in Magnet Technology - A new type of permanent magnet has been developed using only iron and nitrogen, which are abundant and cost-effective compared to rare earth elements [10][11]. - The theoretical performance of this iron-nitrogen magnet could exceed that of current top rare earth magnets, with a maximum magnetic energy product theoretical value reaching 130 Mega-Oersted [10]. Group 2: Current Rare Earth Supply Chain Issues - Over 90% of high-performance rare earth permanent magnets are produced in China, which controls not only the production but also the refining of rare earth ores [6][8]. - The U.S. has been reliant on China for the refining of its own mined rare earth ores due to a lack of domestic processing capabilities [8][32]. Group 3: Challenges in Industrialization - The production process for the new iron-nitrogen magnets is complex, requiring precise control over temperature and pressure, as well as exact ratios of iron and nitrogen [15][17]. - The current production capacity of Niron Magnetics is only about 5 tons per year, which is negligible compared to the global demand of over 200,000 tons annually [19][21]. Group 4: U.S. Efforts to Increase Domestic Production - The U.S. is attempting to expand its traditional rare earth magnet production capacity, with plans for new factories that will take time to build and require training of workers [25][27]. - Even with new factories, the projected domestic production will still fall short of meeting the current demand, which heavily relies on imports from China [30][35]. Group 5: Long-term Implications - The breakthrough in iron-nitrogen magnet technology does not eliminate the U.S.'s short-term vulnerabilities regarding rare earth supply, as initial production will not meet military or civilian needs [33]. - The U.S. must continue to monitor developments in new technologies while reinforcing its position in the rare earth sector to maintain competitive advantage in high-end manufacturing [35].