Types of Magnets

All magnets are iron based, but...

There are three main types of iron-based, but artificially made, permanent magnets.

They are manufactured from various combinations of raw material elements, which are combined through a powder metallurgical process to produce different magnet types that are shaped by various moulding, casting and bonding processes.

Iron becomes magnetic when an external magnetic force is applied and one or two electrons in the iron atoms are reorientated. No other element has electrons that can be affected by an external magnetic force as easily as iron. But, even the few electrons in iron that exhibit this flexibility will not retain it for long. Heat or impact can cause the electrons to revert to their random orientation and magnetisation is lost. Because of this, manufacturers usually add another element that not only makes the magnet 'permanent' but also adds other special qualities, depending on the element added. Elements most commonly used are nickel, boron, cobalt, samarium, strontium and neodymium.

The most widely used permanent magnets are: Rare Earth, Ferrite and Alnico

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Rare Earth	Ferrite	Alnico	Cap & Post	Flexible Rubber