Rare Earth Permanent Magnets

Rare Earth Permanent Magnets

News: PM Modi recently dedicated the Rare earth permanent magnet plant in Vizag to the nation.

What are Permanent Magnets?
 A permanent magnet is a type of magnet that can create a magnetic field without needing any external power source. It is called “permanent” because once it is magnetized, it can maintain its magnetism for a long time.
 Permanent magnets are usually made from certain types of metals or alloys, such as iron, nickel, and cobalt, or rare earth elements like neodymium and samarium.

What are Rare Earth Permanent Magnets?
 Rare earth permanent magnets are a type of permanent magnet that is made from rare earth elements. Rare earth elements are a group of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, including elements such as neodymium, samarium, and dysprosium.
 Applications – Telecommunication, Avionics, Weaponry, Micro-electronics, wind turbines. Airplanes etc.
 This landmark development is a huge step in the direction of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as up to now most of our needs for this critical item were being met through imports only
 The magnet plant was constructed for IREL (India) Limited. As per the statement, the plant will use the reduction-diffusion technique, developed by BARC.

What is reduction-diffusion technique?
 The Reduction Diffusion Technique is a process used by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for the production of enriched uranium.
 The reduction-diffusion technique is a well-established method for producing enriched uranium and is one of the methods used by BARC for its nuclear fuel cycle activities.
Source – PSUWatch, TOI, DRDO Website