Oak Ridge National Laboratory unveiled the 3D printed magnet technology in November 2016.

Momentum Technologies has licensed Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s 3D-printed magnet technology and plans to produce the first 3D-printed magnet made from recycled materials for use in electric vehicles, wind turbines and high-speed rail.

Momentum Technologies, a Dallas-based start-up, has licensed Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL) 3D printed magnet technology in a non-exclusive agreement between the two organisations.

The deal leaves the door open for other companies to benefit from ORNL’s 3D printed magnet technology, which the Department of Energy research organisation unveiled in November 2016.

Momentum is planning to commercialise the first 3D printed magnet made from recycled materials. It’s an extension on the company’ commitment to developing and commercialising its Membrane Solvent Extraction (MSX) technology to recycle rare earth elements from electronic waste, which saw the company’s foundation. The company was founded in 2016 by the Critical Materials Institute and the Department of Energy, with which it has an exclusive licensing agreement with to develop MSX.

The 3D printed magnet technology Momentum is to leverage has been proven by ORNL to outperform those developed with traditional methods, since increasingly complex shapes can be produced. These magnets are suitable for application in automobiles, wind turbines, motors and generators, according to ORNL. ORNL researchers develop the magnets in the organisation’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) using two 3D printing techniques: Binder jetting and Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM).

“Bringing together these technologies through the Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute and ORNL allows us to create a sustainable domestic supply of low-cost magnets made from recycled materials recovered from hard disk drives,” said Momentum Technologies’ CEO, Preston Bryant.

The process for 3D printing magnets starts with researchers fabricating isotropic, near-net-shape, neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) bonded magnets using ORNL’s BAAM machine. Magnet Applications, an ORNL partner, then additively manufacture composite pellets consisting of 65 volume percent isotropic NdFeB powder and 35 percent polyamide (Nylon-12). These are then melted, compounded and extruded by BAAM into desired forms, in a process that conserves material thus saving money.

When the magnet 3D printing method was first introduced, ORNL researcher and co-author of the study, John Ormerod said: “This work has demonstrated the potential of additive manufacturing to be applied to the fabrication of a wide range of magnetic materials and assemblies. Magnet Application and many of our customers are excited to explore the commercial impact of this technology in the near future.”

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