Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Via Liquid Magnesium Leaching and Distillation

The need for rare earthRare earths metals in clean energy technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehiclesElectric vehicles has raised a threat to the supply and has spurred researchers to look for sourcing alternatives, with recyclingRecycling being one of the approaches. Many research investigations have demonstrated the magnet-to-metal approach, in which rare earthRare earths metals such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, are leached from magnets by molten metals. These recycled metals can then be involved in the production of new rare earthRare earths magnets, providing an environmentally friendly source. This study provides an overview of this method of rare earthRare earths magnet recyclingMagnet recycling, which begins with demagnetization and coating removal. Leaching uses liquid magnesium and bismuth, where distillationDistillation is done by a continuous gravity-driven multiple effect thermal system (G-METS). G-METS distillationDistillation can potentially improve the efficiency of rare earthRare earths metal extraction to help establish a sustainableSustainable supply chain for rare earthRare earths magnets.