Subject: New US tech: better magnets, no rare Earths
Chalk up an L for China:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinio...

China weaponized science against the US. We've figured out a key element they missed
American researchers perfect magnets from abundant materials that could replace Chinese rare-earth minerals

Nice!

In April, China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, crippling American manufacturing across dozens of critical sectors. Ford temporarily shuttered production lines while European suppliers closed entire factories. In one calculated move, Beijing demonstrated its power to hobble the West.

This economic warfare represents decades of strategic planning. While America slept, China cornered the market on materials essential to modern civilization. By controlling 90% of rare-earth processing capacity, it dictates prices and decides who receives supplies. The periodic table became their ultimate economic weapon.

But weapons can be rendered obsolete through superior innovation. American scientists discovered that combining iron, the planet's fourth-most abundant element, with atmospheric nitrogen makes a compound more magnetic than anything produced by China. This breakthrough doesn't just match Chinese materials; it surpasses them.

The rare Earth monopoly is something they've been working on for decades. Hopefully it's toast.

I know what you people are thinking: this is a Fox article, so it's totally written by lyingliarswholie.

Nope:
https://rareearthexchanges.com...
Highlights

Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics develops rare-earth-free iron nitride magnets for variable-flux motors.
The new technology aims to solve rare-earth supply chain challenges by creating domestically produced magnets with improved motor efficiency.
Niron’s innovation could transform motor design across multiple sectors, including:
Automotive
HVAC
Robotics
Data center cooling systems
Eliminates dependence on traditional rare-earth minerals.

The nitride magnets have 1 drawback compared to traditional rare-Earth magnets and that is a lower coercivity (meaning they're more prone to de-magentization). Assuming you can get a decent operating life of a few years you could simply recycle the material through the same process used to create it (by melting it down and re-crystallizing it). The US already has a robust steel recycling capacity.