Neodymium praseodymium oxide powder produced by MP Materials.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has played a significant role in advancing the extraction of rare earths in the U.S. Rare earths, especially neodymium and praseodymium, are essential for powerful permanent magnets used in a wide array of industries. The U.S. and allied nations are increasingly concerned about China's dominance in the rare earth market, which produces about 90% of processed rare earths. In response, the U.S., Australia, and Canada are investing heavily in their own production capabilities to secure a stable supply chain.

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), the U.S. Department of Defense-supported national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII), announced that it will introduce its new state-of-the-art Advanced Metallic Production and Processing Center (AMPP) in 2025 solving a critical gap in addressing advanced materials challenges across the U.S. industrial base.  

The Japan Powder Metallurgy Association (JPMA), Tokyo, Japan, awarded 8 prizes in the following categories: Development, New Design, Process Development, New Powders and Effort.

DEVELOPMENT PRIZE
Grand Prize
Development of Soft Magnetic Composite Cores with Double Pole Shoes to Enhance the Performance of Axial Flux Motors
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.

This component is the stator core for an Axial Flux Motor (AFM) used in air cleaners. In response to the increasing emphasis on miniaturization, weight reduction, and high efficiency of motors in recent years, AFM that can achieve both thinness and high torque, is attracting attention and is expected to become widespread and replacing conventional radial flux motors made of Laminated Steel Sheets (LSS), which have the disadvantage of reducing torque when they are made thinner due to their motor structure. Compared to LSS, soft magnetic composite cores (SMC) are suitable for the three-dimensional magnetic circuit required for AFM due to their magnetic isotropic properties and high design flexibility in shape.

GKN Hoeganaes, Cinnaminson, New Jersey, has announced a strategic partnership with First Phosphate to establish a North American supply chain for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, essential for the electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage sectors. This collaboration follows the successful integration of First Phosphate’s magnetite into GKN Hoeganaes’ proprietary Ancorsteel melting process, resulting in a high-purity iron powder that serves as a precursor for LFP battery cathodes.

Creative and innovative Casio continues adding to its long list of “world-firsts.” It all began with the yubiwa (finger ring) pipe, developed at Kashio Seisakujo, the predecessor of Casio Computer Co., Ltd. That revolutionary ring hit the market in 1946, right after World War II, and was a big hit. The profits would later go toward the capital needed for development of a new kind of calculator. The same ring styling of the new Casio metal injection molding (MIM) ring watch is a nod to this very first product using original ideas and technologies to create new value.