Strong Magnets and Rare Earth Magnets
Magnets with strong magnets are commonly found in toys for children, and one pediatric emergency room physician is able to treat up to one case of ingestion every month. But, the majority of people do not be aware of the dangers of high-powered magnetics. Magnetic construction sets were responsible for an increase in the number of magnets consumed in 2005. The toy was blamed for at least one death and hundreds of intestinal injuries. A voluntary standard was established in 2007 to limit the number of magnetic toys containing loose magnets. It requires “neodymium (ndfeb) magnets” powerful magnets to be connected to other parts of a toy permanently.
Rare earth magnets are among the strongest permanent magnets. They are made from “rare earth” elements which are located in the bottom of the periodic table. These elements have massive magnetic moments. The spin of electrons around an atom is responsible for the magnetic moments of atoms. High magnetic moments occur when the atoms of the atom align which results in magnetism. To create a strong magnet you will require many of these atoms.
ASTM officials have not made public their voting roster, but the committee’s members were gathering for months prior to when safety advocates joined the process. The committee has 36 members. Nine of them are producers. The executives of the magnet industry cannot control more than 49% of votes. The committee is on its way to announcing the voluntary standard. The result was an updated standard for strong magnets.