Horizon Magazine · Space

New advanced materials could give electric motors an efficiency boost

Researchers are developing new metallic glass alloys and advanced manufacturing techniques, like metal 3D printing, to significantly improve the efficiency of electric motors. This innovation could lead to substantial energy savings across the EU and reduce reliance on critical raw materials.

Electric motors consume over 50% of the EU's electricity, making even small efficiency improvements crucial for energy savings. The EU's Ecodesign measures aim to save 106 TWh annually by 2030 through improved motor efficiency.

The EU-funded AM2SoftMag initiative, led by researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute and Saarland University, is at the forefront of this development. They are exploring metallic glass, a material with a disordered, glass-like atomic structure, which allows magnetic domains to move more freely, reducing energy loss as heat compared to conventional magnetic materials.

A key challenge was manufacturing components from metallic glass without compromising its unique structure. Using advanced laser-based metal 3D printing, researchers successfully created components by precisely controlling the cooling rate of each layer, a process requiring cooling at approximately one million degrees Celsius per second.

This breakthrough allows metallic glass to be formed into electric motor components for the first time, moving the technology from the lab towards practical application. Potential efficiency gains of up to 5% in some applications could lead to longer operating times for battery-powered devices and reduced demand for rare earth elements.

While still in fundamental research, the work has progressed to developing cobalt-free alloys and demonstrating 3D printability. The next steps involve refining the printing process for industrial scale and further reducing electrical losses, with the ultimate goal of making electric motors more efficient to support Europe's electrification goals.

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