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Rare-earth magnets are not mined as finished magnets. Their production starts with ore, then concentrates and separates the rare-earth elements, converts them into metals, combines them into an alloy and forms that alloy into a magnet. The exact route depends on the ore and the type of magnet being made.
What “rare earth” means—and why making magnets takes several stages
“Rare earth” refers to a group of 17 elements. They are not necessarily scarce in Earth’s crust, but deposits with economically useful concentrations are uncommon. The elements also tend to occur together and have similar chemical properties, making it difficult to separate one from another.
Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) is the high-performance rare-earth magnet type most relevant to this process. It uses neodymium and praseodymium with iron and boron; some grades also include dysprosium or terbium to improve performance in demanding conditions. Not all rare-earth magnets are NdFeB, and not all NdFeB magnets are made by the same manufacturing route.
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This is a simplified, ore-dependent sequence, not a universal plant recipe. The International Energy Agency describes its process flowsheet as illustrative: actual circuits are customized to the ore, and that flowsheet does not include recycling.
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- Important Usage Reminder: Neodymium magnets are brittle. Do NOT allow magnets of different sizes to snap violently together, as impact may cause chipping or cracking. Keep away from pacemakers and electronic screens. Not suitable for small children without adult supervision. Not recommended for stainless‑steel / glass refrigerator doors.The magnetic flux of our product is below 50 kG²/mm²
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Mine and prepare the ore
Ore is extracted, crushed and milled so that mineral grains are liberated from surrounding rock. The resulting material still contains unwanted minerals, or gangue, and is not ready to become a magnet.
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Concentrate the rare-earth minerals
Beneficiation separates useful mineral grains from gangue to produce a more concentrated feed for chemical processing. Depending on the deposit’s mineralogy, methods may include flotation, gravity, magnetic or electrostatic separation. There is no single method that applies to every ore.
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Process the concentrate and separate individual elements
The concentrate is chemically processed to make mixed rare-earth material. Because the elements have similar chemistry, separating them into individual products is technically demanding. The International Energy Agency calls separation “the technical core of processing”: it converts mixed rare-earth feeds into individual oxides.
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Convert the separated oxides into metals
The individual rare-earth oxides are refined and reduced to produce rare-earth metals. Those metals—not the original ore or concentrate—can then be used to make magnet alloy.
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Make the magnet alloy
For NdFeB magnets, rare-earth metals are combined with iron and boron to form an alloy. Some grades include dysprosium or terbium, along with other minor additions, to meet performance requirements in more demanding conditions.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2022 assessment gives an approximate composition for sintered NdFeB magnets of 30% rare-earth material, 69% iron and 1% boron by weight. This is an approximate composition for that magnet type, not a universal formula for every rare-earth magnet.
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Form the magnet
The alloy is made into magnetic powder and then shaped. Two distinct NdFeB manufacturing paths are sintered and bonded magnets; they use different forming methods and produce different kinds of parts.
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Machine, coat and magnetize as required
Sintered pieces can be machined to their specified dimensions and coated to limit corrosion. The Department of Energy describes nickel-copper-nickel as a common coating and, for the process it discusses, magnetization after plating. Products can use other coatings or process details, so neither that coating nor that order should be assumed for every magnet.
How sintered and bonded NdFeB magnets differ
| Route | How it is formed | What distinguishes the route |
|---|---|---|
| Sintered | Powdered alloy is compacted and sintered into a dense solid. | The resulting pieces can be machined to dimensions and coated to limit corrosion. |
| Bonded | Rapidly quenched magnetic powder is mixed with a binder and shaped by compression, injection molding or calendaring. | The binder-and-powder mixture is formed by shaping rather than by the sintering route. |
These are alternative production paths, not consecutive steps in one recipe. The final design determines which form of magnet is suitable.
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Why the supply chain is concentrated
Mining is only one part of magnet supply: the material must also be refined, separated and manufactured. The International Energy Agency’s 2026 report gives the following figures for 2024, with each percentage referring to a different part of the magnet-rare-earth supply chain:
| Stage | China’s share in 2024 | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Mined production | 60% | Magnet rare earths |
| Refined output | 91% | Magnet rare earths |
| Magnet production | 94% | Sintered permanent magnets |
These percentages are not shares of all rare-earth products or of every magnet type. They show why extraction alone does not describe where magnet supply is concentrated: refining and magnet manufacture are also important stages.
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Environmental risks depend on the deposit and process
Mining and processing can create environmental risks, but impacts vary with the ore and the methods used. Relevant issues include acidic leachate, chemical waste and naturally occurring radioactive materials in residues. Some deposits contain thorium or uranium, and processing can concentrate these materials in tailings.
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It would be misleading to assume that every mine uses the same chemistry or has identical impacts. Waste, water and residue management are consequential parts of an operation’s environmental performance.
How recycling fits into magnet production
Recycling begins with manufacturing scrap or with end-of-life products that contain magnets, rather than with newly mined ore. Depending on the feed and method, routes can recover magnet material directly or use hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical or emerging electrochemical processing. Recycled material still needs appropriate processing and separation before it can be used; recycling does not make those steps disappear.
The International Energy Agency estimates that recycling could reduce primary supply needs by up to 35% by 2050. That is projected potential, not a present-day achieved reduction.
What traceability can—and cannot—tell you
ISO 17887:2025 specifies traceability information from separated rare-earth products toward permanent magnets. Its scope includes information about parties and locations in the chain and supports examination of claims such as sustainability, environmental impact and recycled content. The existence of the standard does not establish that every producer uses it or verify any particular magnet’s claims.
A rare-earth magnet is also not required in every product design. Wind turbines, for example, can use generator systems without rare-earth magnets; magnet choice is an engineering trade-off, not a universal requirement.
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