Alnico

The high-temperature option, and the one that will happily demagnetise if treated carelessly.

Materials › Alnico
FormulaAlNiCo
Relative strengthModerate
Max operating temperature450–550 °C
Relative costModerate to high
Corrosion resistanceGood

Unmatched on temperature

Works at temperatures that destroy every other common type, which is why it persists in sensors, instruments and industrial equipment despite being weaker than the rare-earth materials.

Easy to demagnetise, and that is the catch

Low coercivity. An opposing field, a sharp knock or being stored next to the wrong thing can weaken it. It can be remagnetised, which is a genuine advantage, but the assembly has to be designed with that in mind.

Machinable and stable

More forgiving to machine than the rare-earth types, and very stable over time and temperature cycling.

These figures are the ranges the trade works to and they move with grade, geometry and manufacturer. For anything load-bearing or safety-related, work from the datasheet for the exact part.

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