How to Heat Up a Magnet

Determine what type of magnet you have. If it is an industrial magnet, you can use the manufacturer's description and operating instructions. There are four common types of household magnets. Ceramic or ferrite magnets are the types used for refrigerator holders. Alnico magnets are the type used in bar and horseshoe shaped toy magnets. Samarium cobalt magnets are used in CD and DVD motors. Neodymium-iron-boron magnets are powerful magnets used in disc drives, headphones and toys.

Find the Curie temperature of your magnet. That is the temperature at which it will permanently lose magnetic powers. The magnet will stop functioning well before it reaches its Curie temperature, but will regain its magnetic field as it cools, provided you do not heat it past the Curie temperature. The Curie temperature for alnico and samarium cobalt magnets is above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. For ceramic and ferrite magnets it is 860 degrees Fahrenheit. For the powerful neodymium-iron-boron magnets, it is only 590 degrees Fahrenheit.

Choose magnets with a high Curie temperature for use in extreme heat. Even though neodymium-iron-boron magnets have the most power at room temperature of the common household magnets, they have the most precipitous decline in magnetic power as heat increases. If you are running industrial equipment that uses electromagnets under high heat conditions, follow manufacturer's instructions on how to calculate for power loss and to only activate the magnets when needed.