Permanent magnets are essential components in modern technologies, used in many electric and electronic devices from computers, electric motors, power generators, appliances to medical equipment and automotive industry in main drive electric traction motor, pumping systems, sensors for the position and speed, power steering, speaker performance, kinetic energy recovery systems, engine management, anti-vibration systems and other. Permanent magnets are also necessary for other power-related applications in order to make electric devices smaller, lighter and energy efficient.

Under the current circumstances of China-USA “trade war”, and the rare-earth exports suppress from China, the development of new types of permanent magnets without the presence of rare-earths, but with high energy product, and high performance at elevated temperatures, has become extremely important and urgent from both the scientific and technological points of view. In the current proposal we are planning to study the synthesis of novel permanent magnetic materials based on the traditional, Fe, Ni and Co ferromagnetic elements. More specific we are proposing the synthesis of FeNiCo and FeCo alloys in colloidal particles form following liquid phase chemical methodologies.  According to theoretical predictions the fine composition tuning in ternary FeNiCo induce L1₀ crystal structure, and our preliminary results shows that carbon or Bi insertion in binary FeCo nanoparticles induce tetragonicity and reveal magnetocrystalline anisotropy. In parallel work package, in order to induce L1₀ chemical ordering in FeCo alloys we are proposing for the first time the synthesis, with an “epitaxial-like” growth, colloidal core/shell particles utilizing as core the well-known and high magnetocrystalline anisotropy L1₀ MPt nanoparticles, where M is Fe or Co. In the L1₀ MPt/FeCo, core/shell particles, with hard/semi-hard magnetic properties we are expecting to maximize the energy product with lowering, at the same time, significantly the precious metal concentration. Finally, utilizing a “green compact” technology, in collaboration with University of Delaware, we are proposing the fabrication of a prototype magnet.