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.
