From EVs to wind turbines and loudspeakers to hard drives, magnets are critical for everyday technologies. Most high-performance magnets require rare earth elements, which are toxic and environmentally damaging. During his PhD studies, Priyank Shyam researched ways to make permanent magnets without rare earth elements.

By combining different types of iron oxides or “ferrites” into a single material, Priyank’s research aimed to improve performance using only earth-abundant, non-toxic and eco-friendly materials. He optimized several methods to make ferrite magnets, including a new ultra-fast heating system called the Aarhus Rapid Ohmic Sintering (AROS) setup, which can produce magnets within seconds instead of hours.

The Ph.D. project revealed key insights to boost magnetic performance through controlled changes in composition, temperature and processing time. The new research findings present cost-effective alternatives to produce sustainable magnets for an increasingly decarbonizing world.

The PhD study was completed at the Department of Chemistry and the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Monday, 02 June 2025 at 13:15.
Place: Building 1514, room 213, Lecture Theatre Aud I, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000, Aarhus C.
Title of PhD thesis: Developing and understanding exchange-spring ferrite magnets.
Contact information: Priyank Shyam, e-mail: priyank@inano.au.dk, tel.: +45 52 82 41 49.
Members of the assessment committee:
Associate Professor Tapati Sarkar, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Senior Researcher Stefano Deledda, Department for Hydrogen Technology, Institute for Energy Technology, Norway.
Professor Torben R. Jensen (chair), Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark.
Main supervisor: Professor Mogens Christensen, Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark.
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English.

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.