neodymium praseodymium is a rare earth alloy containing neodymium and praseodymium in different proportions. The alloy has a silver gray, metallic luster and is block in appearance.
The most common use for neodymium praseodymium oxide is in the production of permanent Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnets used in electric motors and wind turbine drives. These magnetic materials have a high energy product density and are important for weight-sensitive applications.
NdFeB has a wide range of applications and is currently the strongest commercially available permanent magnet in terms of energy product per m3. Its low cost makes it attractive for high-volume manufacturing.
Historically, NdFeB has been produced mainly in China and is now becoming increasingly difficult to source. This is a major factor driving the current price surge for this rare earth.
Praseodymium is another critical element in the NdFeB system as it plays a key role in the physical properties of the alloy and its ability to retain its ferromagnetic properties at temperatures above 500°C. It has also been used as an additive to NdFeB to improve its performance in high-temperature applications.
The use of praseodymium has seen rapid growth in recent years as it has been applied to a range of new and exciting applications including bioimaging, laser transitions, mode-locking and laser absorption. It has also been shown to mitigate the effects of ground-state bleaching and ESA, which have been a significant challenge for erbium 3-mm fiber lasers.