How can you ID a Magnet? (EG: Alnico, Stontiumm, Neodymium etc..) (1 Viewer)

[Brett DiMichele]

Hey Gang,

I bought a stack of magnets off a co worker/friend of mine
he got them at an auto parts meet years ago. They are 1/2"
Diameter by 1/8" Thick and have 5 pounds worth of pull each!
I know Neodymium is ceramic and these feel like a ferrous
Magnet so I guess that rules out Neo.. Could they be Alnico?

I bought 12 of them and was going to use them to hold the
grills on my DIY speakers in the future. But I am thinking
hell if I use these I won't be ABLE to get the grills off!
It takes all I got, just to pull them apart!

(Hmm Could I make a Hoverboard?)

 

[Brett DiMichele]

PS please excuse the typo's in the topic header... I meant
Strontium (if that is spelled correctly...)

 

[David-S]

Keep in mind that with longer distance between the magnets, they'll have less pull, so if you have MDF between them, they'll be easier to pull apart...

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Alnico smells somewhat like broccoli or old concrete.
Hope that helps.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Jack,

Hmmmm that's interesting.. May I ask how you came about
this information?

David, even with an inch between them it's hard to hold
the little buggers apart!

 

[Jack Gilvey]

:wink:

 

[Bill Fagal]

Sounds like Neodymium.

If they are ground smooth with fine corners or are nickle or epoxy plated, they're probably Nd.

Alnico is usually a raw casting with minimal surface grinding. At least that's my experience.