日本开发不含稀土的电动车马达磁铁

据悉，日本研究人员正在研发一种电动车马达，采用不需要稀土金属的磁铁，如果研发成功，中国限制稀土矿出口配额的问题就毋需多虑。

根据日本媒体的报导，该国官方支持的一个新能源与工业科技开发组织(New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization，NEDO)以及北海道大学(Hokkaido University)，正在开发一种不需要用到稀土金属的电动车马达。

在混合动力车辆与电动车所使用的小型高效能马达中，必须要用到的磁铁，会利用诸如可提高磁性的钕(neodymium)等稀土金属。如果上述新技术研发成功，将可让目前大多仰赖从中国进口稀土矿的日本公司，摆脱自今年夏天起中国限制该原料出口的窘境。

根据报导，日本研究人员所开发的技术，让电动车马达所采用的磁铁不需要靠稀土金属来提高磁性，而且该种马达的功率输出与目前的产品相同。而制造一般磁铁所需的材料，不但容易取得，价格也很便宜。

“如果我们能实际采用这种技术，就不用再担心制造磁铁所需材料的供应短缺问题。”开发以上技术的北海道大学副教授Masatsugu Takemoto表示。

此外，经济、贸易和工业部长Akihiro Ohata透露，日本政府筹划包括稀土金属及其他措施的补充预算草案的应急储备目前正在向国会提交审议。

美国立法机构则通过一项法案，授权国内稀土材料方案，以解决短期稀缺程度，确保长期供应的发展。

点击进入参考原文：Japan develops electric motor sans rare earth metals, by Nicolas Mokhoff

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Japan develops electric motor sans rare earth metals

by Nicolas Mokhoff

Access to China's rare earth elements may become a moot point if Japanese researchers will be successful in building EV motors with magnets that don't need rare earth metals.

According to Japanese reports, a next-generation electric motor for automobiles that does not include any rare earth metals has been developed by the government-backed New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and Hokkaido University.

Rare earth metals such as magnetism-boosting neodymium are used in magnets indispensable for the production of small, high-efficiency motors for hybrid and electric cars.

The new technology will help Japanese companies who currently depend on Chinese imports for the vast majority of their rare earth metals. Since this summer, Japana has been hobbled by an inconsistent supply as China curbed exports of the vital materials.

Rare earth metals such as magnetism-boosting neodymium are used in magnets indispensable for the production of small, high-efficiency motors for hybrid and electric cars. The Japanese researchers were able to build motors with magnets that don't include any rare earth metals and still boost motor magnetism magnetism. Their electric motor had the same power output as present models, according to a report in the Mainichi Daily News.

The materials used to make regular magnets can be obtained cheaply and easily, "If we can make practical use of this technology, any worry over the supply of materials for magnets disappears," said Hokkaido University assistant professor Masatsugu Takemoto of the new motor, in a statement.

Separately, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akihiro Ohata revealed that the government intends to include provisions for the creation of an emergency reserve of rare earth metals and other measures in the supplementary budget draft now under consideration for submission to the Diet.

U.S. legislators passed a bill to authorize development of a domestic rare earth materials program to address short-term scarcities and ensure long-term supply.