The NPR he says that "two groups of scientists — one at Northeastern University in Boston; and the other at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom — recently announced that they have succeeded in making, in a laboratory, a material that does not naturally exist on Earth."
"So far it has only been found in meteorites."
Laura Henderson Lewis, one of the professors on the Northeastern team, said the material found in the meteorites is a combination of two base metals, nickel and iron, which cooled over millions of years as they tumbled like meteoroids through the space. This process created a unique compound with a specific set of characteristics that make it ideal for use in high-tech permanent magnets that are a key component of a wide range of advanced machines, from electric vehicles to space shuttle turbines.
Η ένωση ονομάζεται τετραταενίτης και το γεγονός ότι οι επιστήμονες βρήκαν έναν τρόπο να την φτιάξουν σε εργαστήριο είναι τεράστια υπόθεση. Εάν ο συνθετικός τετραταενίτης λειτουργεί σε βιομηχανικές εφαρμογές, θα μπορούσε να κάνει τις τεχνολογίες πράσινης ενέργειας σημαντικά φθηνότερες. Θα μπορούσε επίσης να ταράξει την αγορά σπάνιων γαιών, στην οποία κυριαρχεί σήμερα η Κίνα, και να δημιουργήσει μια σεισμική αλλαγή στη βιομηχανική ισορροπία μεταξύ Κίνας και Δύσης.
But it will be a long time before tetrataenite is able to disrupt existing markets, reports Laura Lewis.
According to the scientist "there are still many tests that need to be done to see if the laboratory tetrataenite is as durable and useful as the space material".
Even if it turns out this good, it will be five to eight years before anyone can make permanent magnets out of it. Meanwhile, China's competitors are working hard to source rare earths of their own. The US is investing in mines in Australia while also looking for materials in Malaysia. On the other hand, the Japanese are researching ways to extract data from mud mined from the seabed.
