The world’s most powerful permanent magnet, which has countless applications across low-carbon technology from electric vehicles to wind turbines, has won its developer the world’s most prestigious engineering accolade.
Dr Masato Sagawa was awarded the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) this morning (1 February) for his work on the discovery, development and global commercialisation of the sintered neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) permanent magnet, the world’s most powerful permanent magnet and a key enabler of cleaner, energy efficient technologies.
The Japanese engineer and scientist’s breakthrough innovation was the creation of a new compound, formed by replacing scarce and expensive cobalt and samarium with more abundant and cheaper iron and neodymium, and at the same time introducing boron to improve magnetic properties – the first step in delivering high performance to a mass market.
Dr Sagawa then led research and development in the 1980s and early 1990s to successfully overcome the issues of sudden reduction of magnetic coercivity at high temperature, most notably by adding dysprosium (Dy) to improve heat resistance. This resulted in the development of high-volume manufacturing techniques, which successfully commercialised his innovation. For wider applications, he continued to develop novel techniques for reducing the amount of dysprosium, or even eliminating its use to help preserve natural resources.
The result was a new magnet for the mass market that almost doubled the performance of the previous best, successfully turning Nd-Fe-B magnets into a viable industrial material with wide applications. The magnet has a significant advantage in high-efficiency and high-torque density applications, such as motors and generators for electric vehicles and wind power generation, and in more general applications where small powerful magnets are required, including robots, automation systems, and domestic appliances.
The Nd-Fe-B market is predicted to be worth over $19.3bn by 2026, and it is essential to the value chain of 8.5m electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in use globally.
“Receiving the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a special moment for me, as this prestigious prize encapsulates what engineering is all about,” said Dr Sagawa. “The purpose of engineering is to benefit humankind, and this award inspires engineers to keep working towards their goals.
“Engineering is essential to solving today’s most pressing issues, and this includes tackling climate change. While neodymium magnets have a wide range of applications, one of the most important is its use for climate economy products, such as electric vehicles and wind turbines. I am therefore honoured to be part of the engineering profession’s contribution towards the fight against climate change, and equally as honoured to receive this unique prize.”
The annual prize was awarded by Lord Browne of Madingley, chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation. “This innovation is inside almost every electric vehicle, and its application ranges from the smartphone in your pocket to offshore wind turbines providing clean energy – a material that is supporting our way of life today and our way of life in the future,” said Lord Madingley.
“That's the essence of engineering – producing and delivering for humanity again and again. Dr Masato Sagawa's permanent magnet is the embodiment of that very essence.”
Dr Sagawa will be formally honoured at a QEPrize presentation ceremony later this year. He will receive £500,000 and a unique trophy, designed by 17-year-old competition winner Anshika Agarwal from India.
“The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is a true celebration of the achievements of engineering worldwide, and how they benefit the planet,” said Professor Dame Lynn Gladden, chair of the QEPrize judging panel. “It is a fantastic vehicle for engaging people of all ages to demonstrate how engineering impacts our daily life.
“This year’s prize is awarded to Dr Sagawa and his innovation of sintered neodymium magnets – an innovation which has had such an impact both on the way we live now, and how we will live in the future, especially as we look towards a greener one.”
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