Do Magnets Weaken Over Time?

Are you about to buy magnets and are worried about how long they will last? Or are you simply just amazed, that the magnets on your fridge have been hanging the same place for the last 20 years?

Do magnets weaken over time? Yes, magnets do weaken over time, but depending on the affection on it, it will retain it’s magnetism essentially forever. If you store permanent magnets correct, neodymium magnets will likely lose less than 1% of their flux density over 100 years.

We have put some thought into the subject of a magnets lifetime, how to demagnetize it and make it strong again. And last, we also found some inspirational DIY projects to optimize your home with magnets.

So, without influence from any external factors, the lifetime of a magnet can last for centuries. High temperatures, stray magnetic fields, electrical current, radiation, humidity, and damage can demagnetize a magnet, but depending on the type of magnet, it will usually last for a long time.

Do magnets weaken over time?

Yes, magnets do weaken over time. As previously mentioned, they lose some of their magnetic strength with time, but the surroundings are primarily the reason for the cause. The magnets we sell a Magnetpartner is called permanent magnets.

Permanent means; lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely. The magnets are called permanent due to no fundamental change unless they are getting demagnetized.

-How does that work, and is it the same to all types of magnets?

How to demagnetize a magnet

We have already mentioned various factors, that can cause demagnetization. The two biggest and common factors are heat and influence from other magnetic fields.

Heat: If a magnet is heated above the Curie point for the ferromagnet materials, it will lose magnetism. Depending on how much you heat and disrupt a magnet, it can restore.

-If it’s not heated over the Curie point, the magnet will restore, when it is getting back room temperature, or else you can re-magnetize it with another magnet again.

Demagnetizing Magnetic Field: First of all, why damage a perfectly good magnet? If you’ve seen the popular TV-show breaking bad, The main characters use a huge electromagnet to destroy evidence and data on a magnetic tape drive.

So, you can both use magnets to restore other magnets, but they can also be used to demagnetize the magnetic field of another magnet.

If you want to see the clip from Breaking Bad followed by a deeper explanation, I found the clip on this link.

Coercivity is the resistance of a magnetic material to changes in magnetization. That means the ability to withstand an external magnetic field without becoming demagnetized.

If you treat your magnets with care, there is not a lot to worry about, and they can be very useful to optimize your home and other life hacks.

Ferrite Magnets

At Magnetpartner we sell Ferrite Magnets. They are known as hobby magnets or fridge magnets. They are very resistant to become demagnetized and have a high permeability. Furthermore, they do not corrode. They are rust proof and able to withstand up to 250°C.

-That sounds expensive.

Well, they are fairly cheap and you can use them to all kinds of cool stuff. The only ‘maybe’ downside is, they are not as strong in power as neodymium magnets. Take a look at our ferrite magnets, and see if you can find something interesting by clicking here.

Neodymium Magnets

Also called power magnets. This is due to their incredible force, and it’s made of the most powerful material, which makes it the strongest permanent magnet.

We have in earlier posts written a lot about neodymium magnets. Both, because we think they are great due to their strength, but also because you need to handle them with extra care.

They are a little more expensive than ferrite magnets and they can be affected by corrosion. But if you really want to have strong magnets, that can hold up to many times their own weight, then take a look at our products here.

An inspiration for DIY projects

One of the reasons for our big passion for magnets is “Do It Yourself” projects. There are so many fun stuff and life hacks, that can make your everyday life more simple or smarter.

As we started making magnetic pockets, we discovered a whole new world for the usage of magnets. We started by hanging magnetic pockets in both private homes and at public offices. Soon after, we started to come up with many more ideas to DIY-projects at home.

We actually got so inspired, that we started our own blog about magnets in Danish. We slowly try to convert some of those ideas to our new English blog, but you can also see fun tips and tricks about magnets made from both us and our customers at our facebook page.

Make your walls magnetic

Yes, you heard me. You can easily make a whole wall magnetic, just by painting it with magnetic paint. It is the perfect “peacocking” for either your home, office or other rooms to both make it more practical, fun and special.

Got your attention? I hope so, but you probably wonder which color it will be. It can be painted over with ordinary paint and still have the magnetic function. You may be going to need slightly stronger magnets, but you can always contact us for more guidance if you consider painting your walls with magnetic paint.

Create a more unique and practical room with magnetic paint. Challenge your creativity and see our high-quality selection of magnetic paint by following the link.

Activity ball for dogs with DIY magnets

Love playing catch with your dog? Here is a smart tip, so you don’t have to put a dirty ball in your pocket. It can also be useful for making your dog walk nicely by your side.

The activity ball is made by putting a magnet inside the ball and also by having one in your pocket. With this little fun trick, the ball can be attached on the outside of your pants, when you go for a walk with your dog.

You can find a video and pictures of the process on our Danish blog if you click at this link.

It is very important that you handle the process with care. So avoid chocking by secure, that the magnet cannot fall out of the ball again!

You are going to need two small Power Magnets, DISC. The ones used in the demonstration video and the pictures, you can find by clicking on the two links:

Link for ball-magnet

Link for pocket-magnet

We hope you found some good ideas to start your own DIY-projects with the use of magnets. Remember to always take caution when using magnets, and if you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contact us.