Ι Overview of Gadolinium

Gadolinium, with symbol Gd and atomic number 64, is a silvery-white metal with moderate ductility and hardness, exhibiting relative stability in air. Over time, however, it undergoes tarnishing, forming a thin Gd₂O₃ film on its surface. Gd is the most abundant heavy rare earth element (HREE) in the Earth’s crust.

Its uses are diverse, yet its supply is single-sourced: In demand, Gadolinium is one of four ferromagnetic elements (Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Gadolinium) at room temperature, widely used in MRI contrast agents, optical glass, phosphors, and Neodymium magnets. On the supply side, as an HREE, Gd has a low fraction in rare earth ores, with supply uncertainty driven by geopolitics, environmental rules, tech shifts, and low-carbon goals.

Gd is typically used as Gadolinium Iron alloy in Neodymium magnet production, offering an appropriate melting point and density to enhance yield rates of rare earth elements. Additionally, the chemical stability of GdFe alloy surpasses that of pure rare earth metal.

How Does Gadolinium Affect the Performance of Neodymium Magnets?

Gadolinium’s impact on Neodymium magnets stems from its compound Gd₂Fe₁₄B, which has a lower saturation polarization (J_s) and anisotropy field (H_A) compared to Nd₂Fe₁₄B, but boasts the highest Curie temperature (T_c) among RE₂Fe₁₄B (RE = rare earth) compounds. This makes Gd a candidate to substitute some Neodymium, enhancing the thermal stability of Neodymium magnets.

RE	Y	La	Ce	Pr	Nd	Sm	Gd	Tb	Dy	Ho	Er	Tm
M_s (T)	1.41	1.38	1.17	1.56	1.60	1.52	0.89	0.70	0.71	0.81	0.90	1.15
H_A (T)	20	20	26	75	73	–	24	220	150	75	–	–
T_c (K)	571	530	422	569	586	620	659	620	598	573	551	549

Historically, before the widespread use of high abundance rare earth magnets, substituting Neodymium and Praseodymium with Gadolinium in conventional N-series grades (e.g., N35) was the primary cost-reduction method within the industry, driven by their massive demand and fierce market competition. Coupled with the background of achieving efficient, balanced, and high-value utilization of rare earth resources, high abundance rare earth magnets have been fully developed and become the most mainstream in the market.

To gain cost advantages in N30, N33, and N35 grades, manufacturers maximized Lanthanum and Cerium to replace Neodymium and Praseodymium. However, this inevitably lowered the magnets’ thermal stability. To counter this, Gadolinium Iron alloy—significantly cheaper than Praseodymium Neodymium mischmetal—is used to regulate thermal stability.

From Export Challenges to Resolution: Gadolinium-containing Neodymium Magnets’ Current Stand

According to Announcement No. 18 of 2025 by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the General Administration of Customs, export controls are imposed on certain medium and heavy rare earth items, with the control scope for rare earth magnets including Samarium Cobalt magnets, Terbium-containing Neodymium magnets, and Dysprosium-containing Neodymium magnets. Exports of these three categories require application for permits from the competent authorities. In addition, Gadolinium-related items are also included in the list.

During the initial implementation of the controls, customs enforced strict controls, and freight forwarders had a risk-averse mindset, strictly reviewing due to insufficient understanding of the policy, misapplying the controls on Gadolinium-related items to Gadolinium-containing Neodymium magnets, recognizing them as “Gadolinium-containing alloys,” thereby bringing them under control and leading to export delays or additional requirements. Most companies adjusted their magnet formulas to remove Gd under this background, which also led to a certain increase in costs. Although MOFCOM has subsequently clarified in business reply letters that Gadolinium-containing Neodymium magnets are not within the control scope, most freight forwarders, out of risk aversion, are still entangled in “word games.”