PRISM: Prediction and Rapid Iterations in Synthesis of Magnets

The DAF currently relies on rare earth magnets for its most critical applications including fighter jets, drones, and satellites. Today, the U.S. has virtually no domestic manufacturing capacity for magnetics, creating a significant supply chain vulnerability for the U.S. and its allies. Further, there have been few to no innovations in magnet chemistries over the last 30 years. Vulcan Elements, in collaboration with the University of Central Florida (UCF), is proposing an innovative, software-enabled hardware development platform designed to optimize and scale the synthesis of a novel magnetic chemistry—a promising green, high-temperature alternative to the widely-used Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets in motor applications. The proposed magnets offer significant potential for next-generation motors, especially under demanding environmental conditions. Past work in this area has been impeded by technical issues including scale, chemical property control, and crystal structure alignment. To address these challenges, Vulcan Elements will build upon the recent advancements made by UCF in developing magnetic thick films. By leveraging the capabilities of thick-film technology, combined with Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) techniques, Vulcan will enable precise, real-time magnetic property measurements crucial for larger-scale production processes. The proposed solution is a significant step toward establishing commercial viability for next-generation magnetic technologies into DAF systems. This effort has the potential to expand into other material systems across the DoD and commercial sectors that are more cost effective and provide an asymmetric advantage to future warfighting capabilities.