Holistic Approach to enhance the Recyclability of rare-earth permanent Magnets Obtained from aNY waste stream

Project Information

HARMONY

Grant agreement ID: 101138767

DOI

10.3030/101138767

EC signature date 10 December 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 7 082 502,50

EU contribution

€ 6 372 570,51

Coordinated by

ASOCIACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO CEIT
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HARMONY (Holistic Approach to enhance the Recyclability of rare-earth permanent Magnets Obtained from aNY waste stream)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy is the basis of the strongest permanent magnet (PM). NdFeB magnets are used in a large range of primary useful applications, such as electronic devices, wind turbine generators or hybrid-electric vehicles. The European Green Deal seeks to place Europe as the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. E-mobility and renewable energies are the backbone to achieve it. The energy transition from carbon-based energies to renewable ones requires a continuous supply of permanent magnets. In addition, the number of electric vehicles in the EU are expected to grow significantly.

Almost a quarter of the Rare Earth Elements (REEs) produced worldwide is used to produce NdFeB magnets. These are included in the Critical Raw Material (CRM) list of 2023 published by the EC. Currently, China, who plays a quasi-monopolistic role, is supplying 86 % of the global REEs and 98-99 % of the REE used by EU. On the other hand, the end-of-life recycling input rate is only of 3-8 %, which indicates that there is a strong need of promoting recycling of these materials in EU.

HARMONY project aims at strengthening the independency and competitiveness of European industry, enabling a resilience value chain of raw materials by developing and validating at pilot scale an innovative, green and safe closed-loop recycling process of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from End-of-Life (EoL) NdFeB permanent magnets. The recycling loop encompasses the collection and dismantling of EoL NdFeB magnets, the recovery of REE metals through an indirect recycling process, the production of recycled NdFeB powder via three direct recycling methods, the manufacturing of magnets from the recycled powder, and the validation of the recycled magnets in end-user applications. The combination of direct and indirect recycling technologies will allow dealing with any scrap containing NdFeB in any form (sintered or bonded magnets).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ERION have selected two waste fluxes as suitable for NdFeB magnets recovery. Specifically, e-scooters and hard disks are easily found at treatment facilities, and the corresponding magnet concentrations are relevant to develop further dismantling and recycling processes. POLIMI, after recovering the magnets through its internally developed disassembly process, evaluated different fragmentation techniques and operating conditions. The introduction of eco-design concepts and waste codes during the manufacture of electronic devices would be useful for their efficient EoL treatment.

TUBAF achieved the pyrometallurgical pre-concentration of rare earth elements contained in NdFeB magnets. Approximately 45 kg of REE-containing slag were produced, from 225 kg of processed material. This slag should be enough to produce about 2 kg of Nd metal after electrowinning. TUC optimized at lab scale leaching conditions of the REE-containing slag to achieve a recovery yield of REE of approximately 95 %. Following the leaching step, various precipitation agents were tested and REEs recovery exceeded 90 %. MEAB conducted tests for the optimization of Solvent Extraction (SX) parameters, including pH, organic solvent selectivity and percentage of extraction. Further optimization will also be done regarding elimination of Ce and separation of NdPr. TUBAF set up a molten salt reactor with 2 kg electrolyte capacity.

CEIT has produced and characterized via gas atomization three different types of powders (HDDR, jet milled and isotropic nanocrystalline). CEIT has produced about 10 kg of powder for the manufacturing of anisotropic sintered NdFeB magnets. UOB has produced and characterized 3.5 kg of melt spun material from HPMS NdFeB scrap to produce bonded NdFeB magnets. The NeoLeach process is currently being optimised at laboratory scale with batches of no more than 150 g of powder. HS-PF has supplied 25 kg of pure HPMS powder for the production of demonstrator anisotropic sintered magnets.

KOLEKTOR established compounding parameters with reference powders to ensure stable processing conditions before applying recycled materials, analysed recycled powders from UoB and CEIT (comparing magnetic properties with target specifications), and adapted compression moulding parameters to successfully process isotropic recycled powders from CEIT. MAGNETI received two different gas atomized powders from CEIT (5 kg of each one) and one HPMS powder from HS-PF (5 kg). Powders were milled and testing samples were produced in order to understand the magnetic properties that these materials could exhibit for future pilots.

MAGNAX, UGent, COPRECI, MU, LANCOR and CEIT have conducted electromagnetic modelling for the optimization of the electric machines and implemented eco-design concepts in the new designs. LBF conducted FEA analysis of fatigue specimens to determine its highly stressed volumes and performed fatigue tests with bonded NdFeB + PA12 magnets at ambient temperature.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

An overview of the results will be provided in the final report. HARMONY is developing results that improve the state of the art in the following main areas: (1) identification and pre-treatment of waste for the recovery of more valuable materials (technological / economic and societal impact), as currently business are concentrating on ‘easy-value materials’ such as aluminium and current processes lack safety for workers, (2) more sustainable and economically attractive indirect and direct recycling of rare earth materials from waste, and subsequent production of permanent magnets based on secondary materials (technological / economic impact), as current processes must progress on matching users needs more strongly, (3) product design integrating circularity aspects (technological / economic and societal impact), as current design often lack considerations for e.g. recyclability, reusability, transmission of information along stakeholders of the value chain. Some results are expected to have further scientific impact via their patentability or integration in leading research of partner institutions and follow-up collaborative projects.

Methodology

Value chain