At present, there are 5 kinds of magnetic materials on the market to choose from, according to the arrangement of magnetic force from weak to strong for rubber magnets, ferrite magnets, aluminum nickel cobalt magnets, samarium cobalt magnets and NdFeb magnets.
The following table briefly describes the properties of each material to help you choose the right magnet.
| Material | Main properties | Main shapes | Main applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber Magnet | The magnet is made of a rubber-like material, which can be folded, crimped, cut with scissors, and the material color is dark brown. The surface can also be coated with PVC adhesive paper or glue. | The magnet can be made with adhesive on both sides for easy use. | Crafts, sign board, display board, magnetic calendar, business card, phone book, etc |
| Ferrite Magnet | It is the most widely used magnet, cheap, but relatively strong magnetic force of rubber magnets. The material itself is hard, brittle, with a dark gray surface. | Circle shape, circle shape, square shape, tile shape. Available in a variety of sizes | Ferrite is mainly used in automotive motors (wiper, starter, heater, fuel pump, and seat motor), exercise bike magnetic control and massage chairs, arts and crafts, adsorption parts, toys, speakers, etc. |
| AlNiCo Magnet | The first magnetic materials used in the technical field. It can be used at very high temperatures - nearly 500 degrees Celsius. After processing, the surface is bright like stainless steel. | Wafer shape, cylinder shape, square shape, horseshoe shape, etc. | Cast aluminum nickel cobalt products are mainly used in various sensors, meters, electronics, mechanical and electrical, medical, teaching, automotive, aviation, military technology and other fields; Sintered aluminum-nickel-cobalt products are widely used in various meters, various types of magnetic sensors, controllers, automotive igniters, odometers and other applications. |
| SmCo Magnet | Rare earth magnets, the material is very brittle, but it is resistant to high temperature and can be used at 300 degrees Celsius. | Round shape, circle shape, square shape, tile shape. Available in a variety of sizes | Widely used in aerospace, national defense, military, microwave devices, communications, medical equipment, instruments, meters, all kinds of magnetic transmission devices, sensors, magnetic processors, motors and other high-tech fields and high temperature environment. |
| NdFeB Manget | High-performance rare earth magnets are not as brittle as samarium cobalt, but the use temperature is not as high as samarium cobalt magnets. It is also easily oxidized at room temperature, so the surface must be electroplated. | Round shape, circle shape, square shape, tile shape. Available in a variety of sizes | The main application areas are: VCM, permanent magnet motor, generator, nuclear magnetic resonance imager, magnetic separator, audio speaker, magnetic drive, magnetic lifting, instrumentation, liquid magnetization, magnetic therapy equipment, etc., has become an indispensable functional material for automobile manufacturing, general machinery, electronic information industry and cutting-edge technology. |