Of the 91 metals that we know to exist , only three are really magnetised at room temperature : iron , atomic number 27 and Ni . This dumbfound something of a problem as we have to rely hard on these elements for anything for which we need magnetic attraction , like MRI scanner , computer memory repositing and wind turbine .
But what if we could make more of these 91 metal magnetised ? That ’s exactly what a team of scientists led by the University of Leeds has been able to do , turn the non - magnetized materials atomic number 25 and copper magnetized . Although the event was fairly weak , the research publish inNature Materials Scienceis hugely promise . And they think that the method acting they used could be give to almost any alloy .
“ Being able to engender magnetic force in materials that are not naturally magnetic opens new itinerary to devices that utilise abundant and hazardless component , such as C and fuzz , ” say co - lead author Fatma Al Ma’Mari of the University of Leeds in astatement .
“ Future technologies , such as quantum computing gadget , will necessitate a raw breed of magnet with extra properties to increase storage and processing capabilities . Our enquiry is a step toward creating such ‘ magnetized metamaterials ’ that can fulfil this need . ”
Almost all metallic element can be made to temporarily respond tomagnetism , albeit some passing weakly , known as paramagnetism and diamagnetism . But only iron , atomic number 27 and atomic number 28 can become permanent magnets , bang as ferromagnetism . A common exercise of a ferromagnet is a fridge magnet .
The method could revolutionize computer memory storage . Arkadiusz Sikorski / Flickr CC BY 2.0 .
In the research , very thin layers of atomic number 29 and Mn were coated in a stratum of constituent molecules known asbuckyballs , spheres of 60 carbon copy atom about one micromillimetre thick . Doing so removed some electrons from the alloy and let them to overcome theStoner Criterion – which basically dictates why some metals are ferromagnetic and some are not .
Coauthor Oscar Cespedes , also from the University of Leeds , told IFLScience that the core they were able-bodied to farm was very small . The strength of the charismatic copper was about 10 clock time weaker than nickel , and 30 times weak than iron . Magnetic manganese was about half that .
In addition , the ferromagnetic effect was lost over fourth dimension as oxidation took electrons from the alloy , causing the magnetism effect to disappear . In this heed , manganese make out better than fuzz .
The effect was cause by the buckminsterfullerene mixing with the atom of the metal , so the researcher also find that making the metal moving-picture show more than a few millimeters thick prevented magnetism from occurring , meaning that it ca n’t be scaled up to practical applications just yet . But Cespedes said that it might be possible to dissolve buckyball or other molecules that can take electrons , such ascarbon nanotubes , in the metal by first flux it . This could allow a much larger amount of non - magnetic alloy to be turn ferromagnetic .
And the applications are legion . Cespedes in particular notes that computer memory storage , while it “ does n’t capture the imagination of curing cancer or aesculapian imagination , ” could gain enormously and help reduce world ’s atomic number 6 footprint .
“ The amount of information we need to stack away is humongous , ” he said . “ In the last two long time , we have stored as much information as in the rest of our chronicle . So we ask to find a elbow room to store it in a very efficient way , by using materials that do not harm the environment . ”
The researcher will now endeavor to enhance the burden , in the hope that some of the legion pragmatic applications programme can be accomplish .
