Book excerpt: Modern Permanent Magnets provides an update on the status and recent technical developments that have occurred in the various families of permanent magnets produced today. The book gives an overview of the key advances of permanent magnet materials that have occurred in the last twenty years. Sections cover the history of permanent magnets, their fundamental properties, an overview of the important families of permanent magnets, coatings used to protect permanent magnets and the various tests used to confirm specifications are discussed. Finally, the major applications for each family of permanent magnets and the size of the market is provided. The book also includes an Appendix that provides a Glossary of Magnetic Terms to assist the readers in better understanding the technical terms used in other chapters. This book is an ideal resource for materials scientists and engineers working in academia and industry R&D. - Provides an in-depth overview of all of the important families of permanent magnets produced today - Includes background information on the fundamental properties of permanent magnets, major applications of each family of permanent magnets, and advances in coatings and coating technology - Reviews the fundamentals of permanent magnet design