What are the Curie temperatures of iron, cobalt, and nickel?

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The Curie temperature, also known as the Curie point, is the temperature above which a ferromagnetic material loses its characteristic magnetic properties and becomes paramagnetic.123

The Curie temperatures for the three common ferromagnetic metals are as follows:

  • Iron: 1,043 K (approximately 770 °C or 1,418 °F)123
  • Cobalt: 1,394 K (approximately 1,121 °C or 2,050 °F)123
  • Nickel: 631 K (approximately 358 °C or 676 °F)243

When these materials are heated above their respective Curie temperatures, thermal energy disrupts the spontaneous alignment of their atomic magnetic moments. Upon cooling below these temperatures, the materials regain their ferromagnetic properties as the atoms spontaneously realign.123