What Metals Are Magnetic? Quick Reference Table

The following magnetic metals list describes the typical response to an ordinary hand-held magnet. It is suitable for preliminary screening, not material certification.

On smaller screens, swipe the table horizontally to see every column.

This table does not identify exact grades. Supplier documentation, material certificates, chemical analysis, or another suitable identification method is still required when grade confirmation matters.

What Does “Magnetic” Actually Mean?

In everyday language, a metal is called magnetic when it sticks to a refrigerator magnet or workshop magnet. In physics, the word covers several different types of material response.

On smaller screens, swipe the table horizontally to see every column.

OpenStax University Physics classifies materials by their ferromagnetic, paramagnetic, and diamagnetic responses. It lists aluminum as paramagnetic and copper as diamagnetic, while explaining why these weak responses are very different from ferromagnetic attraction.

For engineering work, define the requirement clearly. A project may need:

• A target part that can be attracted by a magnet.
• A material that can be magnetized.
• A permanent magnet that produces a useful field.
• A complete magnetic circuit that provides a required force at a working distance.

These are related requirements, but they are not interchangeable.

Why Do Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, and Many Steels Attract Magnets?

Ferromagnetic materials contain magnetic domains that can respond strongly to an outside magnetic field. This is why an unmagnetized steel part can still be pulled toward a permanent magnet.

Iron, nickel, and cobalt are the most familiar ferromagnetic metals in ordinary engineering discussions. Many iron-based alloys are also ferromagnetic, but alloy chemistry and microstructure still matter.

It is therefore unsafe to assume that every alloy containing iron, nickel, or cobalt will behave the same way. The finished material condition must be considered.

Are All Steels and Stainless Steels Magnetic?

No. Many steels are attracted to magnets, but not every steel or stainless steel grade produces the same response.

Carbon and mild steels usually respond clearly. Stainless steel is more complicated because its magnetic behavior depends mainly on its metallurgical structure and processing condition.

The British Stainless Steel Association explains that ferritic, martensitic, duplex, and most precipitation-hardening stainless steels normally show a strong response to a hand-held magnet. Austenitic stainless steels usually show little response when fully annealed.

Cold work can increase the magnetic response of some austenitic stainless steels. Composition and heat-treatment condition also matter. See the BSSA guidance on the effect of cold work and heat treatment.

This leads to two practical rules:

• A stainless steel part sticking to a magnet does not prove its exact grade.
• A weak response does not automatically prove that the part is 304 or 316 stainless steel.

Welded or heavily machined areas should be evaluated according to their actual composition and processing history rather than a general rule.

Which Metals Do Not Normally Stick to a Magnet?

Aluminum and copper do not normally show noticeable attraction in a static hand-held magnet test.

Aluminum is paramagnetic, which means it responds weakly in the direction of an applied field. Copper is diamagnetic, which means its weak induced response opposes the applied field. Neither effect normally produces useful holding force with an ordinary permanent magnet.

Aluminum can interact with changing magnetic fields through other physical effects. That is different from ordinary static attraction and belongs in a dedicated discussion of aluminum and magnets.

A plated or painted part may also give a misleading result. A thin outer layer may hide steel, a steel insert, or another ferromagnetic component underneath.

Can You Identify a Metal with a Magnet Test?

A magnet test is useful for quick screening, but it cannot identify an exact alloy.

Use the same small test magnet, similar contact conditions, and known reference samples when comparing parts. Dirt, coatings, curvature, thickness, and hidden inserts can change the result.

On smaller screens, swipe the table horizontally to see every column.

What Should a Magnet Test Be Used For?

Use the test as a screening step, not as acceptance evidence for a production specification.

Why Can Magnetic Attraction Change in a Real Assembly?

Knowing that a target metal is ferromagnetic does not tell you how much force a finished assembly will provide.

For buyers, the practical question is:

Can this target material, at its actual thickness and working gap, provide enough usable force in the final assembly?

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A coating, air gap, or uneven surface can reduce usable pull force. Thin target steel may also limit performance, but the effect depends on magnet geometry, target material, and the complete magnetic circuit.

Specialist test guidance shows that steel thickness and contact conditions can materially change pull force. It also warns that calculated or catalog values should not replace application testing. See the K&J Magnetics steel-thickness guidance.

A properly designed ferromagnetic backing or housing can direct more magnetic flux toward a working face. This is not automatic; the geometry and material must form a suitable magnetic circuit.

A magnet that performs well in direct pull may behave differently under sliding or edge-peel loading. Sliding resistance also depends on friction, surface condition, and mechanical restraint.

What Should You Provide for a Magnetic Holding or Separation Project?

Provide the following information before selecting a magnet or magnetic assembly:

• Target material family and grade, if known.
• Material condition or processing history.
• Target thickness and available contact area.
• Coatings, paint, adhesive, plastic, or other working gaps.
• Surface shape, flatness, roughness, and corrosion condition.
• Available space for the magnet and housing.
• Required working distance.
• Required force and load direction.
• Whether the load is direct pull, sliding, peel, lifting, or separation.
• Operating temperature and environmental exposure.
• Vibration, impact, movement, or repeated-cycle requirements.
• Drawing, sample, sketch, or assembly layout.
• Required validation method and acceptance conditions.

For magnetic separation, also provide the material flow, contamination type, expected particle size, working distance, and cleaning method. A magnetic drum separator or another magnetic structure must be evaluated against the real process rather than selected only by magnet grade.

When Is a Custom Magnet or Magnetic Assembly Review Needed?

A simple hand-held test may be enough for basic material screening. It is not enough when the project has a defined holding force, limited space, a working gap, thin target steel, unusual load direction, or a complex steel housing.

OSENC can review drawings, samples, sketches, and application requirements for custom neodymium magnets and magnetic assemblies. The review may consider magnet geometry, grade, magnetization direction, coating, target material, working gap, and magnetic-circuit structure.

A higher magnet grade is not automatically the correct solution. Geometry, target material, available pole area, temperature, assembly design, cost, and validation requirements must be considered together.

Projects can also begin with suitable neodymium magnet samples or prototypes before moving to batch production. Actual force must be validated under agreed test conditions.