How to coat a magnet

I was think about coatting a few magnets before I Implant them, well duh of course id coat them, I was thinking titanium, I got my magnets from https://www.apexmagnets.com/3mm-x-1mm-disc-noedymium-rare-earth-magnet#

I want a cheap way to coat these under 50 bucks, and I want it to last for at least 5 years forever if possible, it titanium is out of my budget or there's a better option please comment that and where would I buy the titanium to coat it? My last question is are there any videos of implanting magnets with perving needles?

Comments

  • long story short: there is no easy DIY-coat-at-home way yet.

    If titanium is what you need, you can buy that stuff online for less than 50 USD, but this won't solve the problem of encapsulating the magnet with it.
    Metallic coating is a difficult process and requires expensive equipment (even when bought 2nd hand). Coatings are prone to failures too.

    Best thing you could do on such a budget is to find some workshop which does jewelry or glasses repair. Some have equipment able to laserweld titanium. If you are lucky to find someone, you might be able to to create two cups of titanium, put your magnet into it, laserweld the seam shut.
    See: https://forum.biohack.me/index.php?p=/discussion/2102/anyone-interested-in-solid-titanium-encapsulated-magnets/p1
    Still difficult to get it done correctly, but at least it you won't need gazillions of bucks to pull it off.

  • @ThomasEgi thanks, seems alot harder probably with wait for the m31 and m36 to come out, any idea on when they will be in stock?
  • hehe. well if coating magnets would be easy you could be sure we'd be running a shop and sell them.

  • @ThomasEgi what about a medical grade bio epoxy?

  • it's difficult to get a thin, even and reliable coating. Keep in mind, not only do you need to protect your body from the magnet but also the other way around. This may sound obvious as direct contact with the body fluids will break down the magnet. Moisture is a thread most people don't think about. Those magnets are not made to last in humid environments, so unless your thin layer of epoxy happens to be a perfect moisture barrier, expect mid to long-term failure of the magnet.

  • Hey man that makes sence, so I need to dry the magnet keep it dry not letting pockets of air (containing moisture) and let the epoxy cure and it should be a thin layer, thanks I think I will try 50 Or so prototypes test them both on the magnet internally and in blood to make sure nothing dissolves, and see what disinfecting soaking things will work with the epoxy, then make a effectiveway of creating them. I'm going to work on this, thanks!
  • you missed the problematic point. Epoxy might let moisture through. So even if you dry your magnet with no air bubbles and get a perfect epoxy coating, humidity might still diffuse through your epoxy and your magnet will still get "wet". The whole reason why those magnets are nickel-coated is to protect them from moisture but even that it is not a perfect barrier.
    So even if you do a perfect job at coating and testing goes all fine, you might still have a long-term failing magnet. Not unless you are 100% your epoxy is a perfect moisture barrier. It's a game of time and chances.

    Using a solid metal shell solves this problem rather nicely as the metal atoms are so dense there's no way a H2O molecule would diffuse through it.

  • Oh okay, what kind of epoxy us on devices such as pacemakers and other in body electronics, do these epoxyes let moisture in?
  • there is a variety of materials out there. And a myriad of combinations to use for specific needs. For pacemakers i'd bet the entire electronic gets a parylene coating prior to getting embedded into resin. Parylene is an excellent dielectric and moisture barrier, however it is mechanically weak. So for pacemakers you have the electronics, praylene as electric and moisture barrier, the thick epoxy/silicone mold, and usualy a titanium shell around it to protect the circuitry against electromagnetic interference.

    Needless to say all this comes at a price, monetary as well as build volume wise. And build volume is something you'd want to keep as minimal as possible for magnet applications.

  • 0h okay thanks
  • sigh i wanna add a question. I know i've read this somewhere but don't remember where; if i'm getting neo magnets coated (professionally), do i want gold + rhodium? in that order? I know TiN PVD would be best, but i may have found gold+rhodium plating more accessible.

    Also, they are asking me what the base metal is. Iron+boron right?
    CHEERS!

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