Toshiba Group is working to reduce risks, such as increases
in the prices of rare earths and rare metals and restrictions
on the export of such materials. Among the rare earths used
in home appliances, neodymium (Nd) and dysprosium (Dy),
which are used as materials for permanent magnets, must
be given high priority in consideration of the fact that they
are used in large quantities. We adopted the grain boundary
diffusion method for rare earth magnets used in air conditioner
compressors ahead of other companies and reduced
the use of Dy by approximately 50%. In addition to using ferrite
magnets that contain no rare metals as alternatives to
neodymium magnets in washing machine motors, we have
also developed samarium-cobalt magnets that contain no
dysprosium. We will continue to make efforts to reduce and
eliminate the use of dysprosium.