2008 Report on China's Magnetic Material Market

For the time being the focus of global magnetic materials production is in Asia, where Japan specializes in top-end magnetic products, while China and other countries specialize in mid- and low-end products. In recent years the production has been shifting from Japan, Europe and America to China because the country delivers sound "whole set product" to market and offers a sound investment environment. At the end of 2007, the total output value of magnetic materials in China was RMB26.5bn, to which permanent ferrite contributed RMB6.2bn, with the average price of RMB15,000 a ton; soft magnetic ferrite RMB9.3bn, was RMB31,000 a ton; and others including samarium-cobalt magnets, NdFeB magnets and metallic magnets, accounted for RMB11bn of the market.

There are now 1,096 magnetic materials producers in China, of which 359 focus on ferrite, 226 on rare-earth and metallic magnets, with the rest producing associated equipment and auxiliary raw materials. Of the ferrite producers, 197 produce permanent ferrite, with the annual output of 410,000 tons (of which sintered magnets account for 360,000 tons and bonded magnets 50,000 tons); 162 produce soft magnetic ferrite, with the annual output of 300,000 tons (of which manganese-zinc ferrite is 260,000 tons, nickel-zinc ferrite and magnesium-zinc ferrite together 40,000 tons); while NdFeB magnets is 40, 000 tons, and AlNiCo magnets 3,500 tons.

China has in recent years greatly improved the quality and quantity of its ferrite magnets, and basically is able to produce magnets up to the standards of the TDK Company. The performance of sintered ferrite, with roll scale as the raw material, can meet the standard of FB4B, while the performance of magnets made of ferric oxide can meet FB5 and FB6 standards. The performance of soft manganese-zinc ferrite, a high-power material, is generally up to the standards of PC30-PC40. There are also a few producers that are able to deliver products up to standards of PC44 and PC50. The µi value of most high-magnetic-permeability materials reaches 8,000 and a few producers are able to produce materials with the µi value of 12,000-15,000.

In China, permanent ferrite products account for 42% of high-tech applications, such as for household appliances (microwaves, air conditioners, and other electric devices), office equipment (copiers and fax machines), automobiles, motorcycles, Hi-Fi electronics, sensors for instruments and meters, while the traditional mid- and low-end products makes up the remaining 58% of applications, including speakers, attracting magnets, electric motors for toys, and magnetic selectors.

Soft magnetic ferrite accounts for 22% of high-tech applications, including digital communications, EMC, RF Broadband, EMI, HD displays, and auto electronics, while traditional mid- and low-end products comprise the remaining 78%, including TV sets, adapters of power supply, electronic ballasts, transformers for common switching power supply, and aerial rods.

As for NdFeB magnets, they account for 37% of the high-tech applications, such as NMRI (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging), mobile phones vibration applications, VCM (Voice Coil Motors), spindles of optical disk drives (DVD, CD-ROM), electric tools, and electric toys, while traditional mid- and low-end products account for the remaining  63%, for use in Hi-Fi components, attracting magnets, magnetic selectors, and magnetizers.

This report gives a complete analysis of the developing condition of China's magnetic material industry by elaborating not only on the overall operation of the industry, but also on the development of the application market and raw materials market. In addition, this report also compares the operations of leading producers of magnetic materials in China.