Recycling rare earth elements (REEs) is an important aspect of the circular economy in many advanced technological processes, including wind power generation, clean transportation, industrial automation and national defense systems. Recycling requires the decision to directly reuse the material containing the REEs or to recover the REEs as metals, oxides or salts. Although some aspects of the latter will be presented, this talk will focus on the former, i.e. opportunities for reusing REEs in their host materials. Reusing materials containing the REEs can be more energy and economically efficient. In the presentation, we will show how systems design enables the ability to reuse permanent magnets extracted from end-of-life hard drives. We will also show the results of our research on reusing both Sm-Co and Nd-Fe-B magnets to make new bonded magnets. In first approach, up to 50 vol.% recycled Sm-Co magnet powder recovered from industrial grinding swarfs blended in polylactic acid (PLA) polymer was extruded in PLA at 160°C to produce - filaments for 3D printing of permanent magnets. In second approach, the wasted Nd–Fe–B bonded magnet from additive manufacturing was recycled using cryomilling method into an efficient remade bonded magnets by warm compaction compression molding. In addition, we will present the opportunity to reinsert REEs recovered via wet chemical process into supply chain by reusing those to make new permanent magnets.

Critical materials recycling: Reuse materials or recover rare earth elements

2019 Spring National Meeting

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