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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
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Author: Dope1   😊 😞
Number: of 84361 
Subject: New US tech: better magnets, no rare Earths
Date: 09/22/25 1:46 PM
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Chalk up an L for China:

foxnews.com - China weaponized science against US weve figured out key element missed

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:
rareearthexchanges.com - Niron magnetics iron nitride and the motor disruption on the horizon
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.

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This community has written 84,309 posts about US Policy. The article-length ones it recommended most:
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