Wikipedia

Draft:Niron Magnetics

  • Comment: AI issues cannot be solved by making a few edits, they require a rewrite from scratch. Avgeekamfot (talk) 11:43, 14 July 2026 (UTC)
  • Comment: This appears to be AI assisted, which we do not allow. This may then be connected with some source verification issues. For example Time in reference 24 does not mention the company. FastCompany - if the Wayback version for December 2025 had been used then there is verification, but not if it points to the live link, which is to the 2026 winners. ChrysGalley (talk) 12:03, 11 July 2026 (UTC)
Niron Magnetics
TypePrivate
IndustryMagnet manufacturing, Materials science
FoundedOctober 30, 2013; 12 years ago (October 30, 2013)
Headquarters
Minneapolis, Minnesota
,
United States
Key people
Jonathan Rowntree (CEO)
ProductsIron nitride permanent magnets
Websitenironmagnetics.com

Niron Magnetics is an American advanced materials company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that develops and manufactures permanent magnets made from iron nitride rather than rare-earth elements.[1] The company was founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Minnesota, based on research by materials scientist Jian-Ping Wang.[2] Its magnets have been positioned as an alternative to neodymium-based magnets, the supply chains for which are dominated by China.[3]

History

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Research origins

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The magnetic phase of iron nitride used by Niron (α″-Fe16N2) was first identified in the 1950s, and its unusually strong magnetic properties were reported in subsequent decades, but researchers were unable to reliably reproduce the material, and work on it largely stalled by the early 2000s.[4][1] Jian-Ping Wang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Minnesota, began working on iron nitride in 2002 and spent roughly eight years developing methods to recreate the material and a theoretical explanation of its magnetism, publishing his results in 2010.[1] In 2011, the University of Minnesota received a $4.25 million grant from the United States Department of Energy ARPA-E program to demonstrate the feasibility of an iron nitride magnet.[1]

Founding and early development

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Niron Magnetics was founded in 2013, spun out of Department of Energy research to commercialize Iron Nitride magnet technology.[2][5] In 2022, the company received a $17.5 million grant from the Department of Energy's ARPA-E SCALEUP program[6][7] to scale prototyping of its magnets, in partnership with manufacturers including Volvo Cars and Western Digital.[5]

The company attracted wider attention in 2023 amid industry interest in reducing dependence on rare-earth magnets, including coverage tied to Tesla's announcement that it would remove rare-earth elements from its next-generation motors.[8][9] In November 2023, Niron announced a $33 million investment round that included GM Ventures and Stellantis Ventures.[3][10] In February 2024 it announced a further $25 million investment led by Samsung Ventures with participation from Allison Transmission and Magna International.[11][12] By 2025, total funding exceeded $300 million.[13]

In November 2025, company executives testified before the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party regarding critical minerals supply chains.[14]

Technology

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Niron manufactures permanent magnets from iron nitride, marketed as "rare-earth-free" permanent magnets using iron and nitrogen rather than rare-earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium.[2] The iron used in the process is derived from a byproduct of steelmaking.[1] Because the input materials are globally abundant, the technology has been described by analysts and journalists as a potential means of reducing reliance on Chinese rare earth supply chains, which account for roughly 90 percent of global refining capacity.[15][16]

The iron nitride compound has a higher theoretical magnetization than rare earth magnet materials, though translating those properties into finished commercial magnets that match the performance of high-grade neodymium magnets remains the engineering challenge.[17][4] Potential applications cited in coverage of the company include electric vehicle motors, data center cooling pumps, consumer electronics, loudspeakers, wind turbines, robotics, and defense systems.[18][4]

Manufacturing

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Niron opened a commercial pilot plant in northeast Minneapolis in October 2024.[1] In September 2025, the company broke ground on its first full-scale manufacturing facility in Sartell, Minnesota, on the site of the former Verso paper mill; the 190,000-square-foot plant is designed for a capacity of 1,500 tons of magnets per year, with operations expected to begin in 2027.[18][19] The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Representative Tom Emmer.[20][21]

The Sartell project has received government support including a $52.2 million federal tax credit under the Section 48C Advanced Energy Project program (announced January 2025) and a $10 million grant from the Minnesota Forward Fund (October 2025).[22][19] The company has announced plans for a second facility with a capacity of 10,000 tons per year targeted for 2029.[13]

Partnerships

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Niron's commercial and investment partners have included General Motors, Stellantis, Volvo Cars, Samsung Ventures, Allison Transmission, and Magna International.[3][11] In December 2025, the company announced a collaboration with Moog Inc. to develop actuators for guided munitions systems.[23] In 2026, it announced partnerships with electric vehicle maker Matter Motor Works[24] and audio component manufacturer ALPS Alpine, as well as loudspeakers developed with FaitalPRO.[25]

Recognition

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Niron's iron nitride magnet was named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of 2023[2] and Fast Company's World Changing Ideas in 2025.[26]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kennedy, Patrick (October 16, 2024). "A new iron magnet — invented in Minnesota — could reduce reliance on China for EV motors and cellphones". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "University-born startup's Clean Earth Magnet named a TIME magazine best invention of 2023". University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. December 7, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Waldersee, Victoria; Steitz, Christoph (November 14, 2023). "Automakers' drive to avoid China's EV rare earth dominance gathers speed". Reuters. Retrieved July 6, 2026 – via Mining.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Crownhart, Casey (January 31, 2024). "How new magnets could accelerate climate action". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "University-born company Niron Magnetics receives $17.5M DOE grant". University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering. November 29, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Pilot Production Commercial Sampling Rare Earth Free Iron Nitride Permanent". Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Caitlin (November 22, 2022). "Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics awarded $17.5M federal grant". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Tesla's Magnet Mystery Shows Elon Musk Is Willing to Compromise". Wired. May 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Tesla Vision of Electric Cars Without Rare Earths to Spur Magnet Race". Bloomberg News. March 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  10. ↑ "With big new EV motor investment GM aims to cut reliance on China". CNN. November 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Walz, Eric (February 28, 2024). "Samsung, Magna, Allison Transmission invest $25M in Niron Magnetics". Wards Auto. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Magnet Startup Niron Attracts More Big-Name Investors". Twin Cities Business. February 20, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "US magnet start-up targets China's grip on rare earths". Financial Times. September 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Predatory Pricing: How the Chinese Communist Party Manipulates Global Mineral Prices to Maintain Its Dominance". U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. November 19, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ "China-born scientist Jian-Ping Wang forged a rare-earth-free magnet. Will it help the West?". South China Morning Post. April 25, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  16. ↑ "How to build strong magnets without rare-earth metals". The Economist. May 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "How a Minneapolis company could transform manufacturing of essential magnets for consumer electronics, clean energy transition". CBS News. February 20, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Niron breaks ground on Sartell plant to produce magnets without rare earth elements". MPR News. September 26, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Willing, Nicole (October 31, 2025). "Niron Magnetics receives $10-million grant for US permanent magnet facility". Charged EVs. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Niron Magnetics breaks ground on Sartell manufacturing facility to scale up cutting-edge technology". CBS News. September 26, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  21. ↑ Abrego, Trent (September 29, 2025). "Bipartisan leaders including Emmer, Walz tout Niron Magnetics planned development in Sartell". West Central Tribune. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  22. ↑ Abrego, Trent (January 26, 2025). "New Sartell manufacturer awarded $52M tax credit". St. Cloud LIVE. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  23. ↑ "US Companies to Explore Materials Alternative for Guided Munition". The Defense Post. December 15, 2025. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  24. ↑ "CES 2026 Matter Booth".
  25. ↑ "FaitalPro Sustainable Sound Announcement".
  26. ↑ "World Changing Ideas 2025". FastCompany. August 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
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