TY - JOUR
T1 - Electrochemical recovery of rare earth elements from magnets
T2 - Conversion of rare earth based metals into rare earth fluorides in molten salts
AU - Abbasalizadeh, Aida
AU - Malfliet, Annelies
AU - Seetharaman, Seshadri
AU - Sietsma, Jilt
AU - Yang, Yongxiang
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - In the present work, selective extraction of rare earth (RE) metals from NdFeB magnets is investigated by studying the effects of various fluxes, viz. AlF3, ZnF2, FeF3 and Na3AlF6 in the LiF-NdFeB system. The aim is to convert RE from RE magnet into the fluoride salt melt. The results show the complete selective separation of neodymium (also dysprosium) from the magnet and formation of rare earth fluoride, leaving iron and boron unreacted. The formed rare earth fluoride can subsequently be processed in the same reactor through an electrolysis route so that RE can be deposited as a cathode product. The results of XRD and EPMA analysis of the reacted samples indicate that AlF3, ZnF2 and FeF3 can act as strong fluorinating agents for extraction of rare earth from NdFeB magnet, converting the RE to REF3. The results confirm the feasibility of the rare earth metals recovery from scrap NdFeB magnet as raw material. The fluoride conversion-electrolysis route suggested in the present work enables the extraction of rare earth metals in a single step using the above-mentioned fluxes.
AB - In the present work, selective extraction of rare earth (RE) metals from NdFeB magnets is investigated by studying the effects of various fluxes, viz. AlF3, ZnF2, FeF3 and Na3AlF6 in the LiF-NdFeB system. The aim is to convert RE from RE magnet into the fluoride salt melt. The results show the complete selective separation of neodymium (also dysprosium) from the magnet and formation of rare earth fluoride, leaving iron and boron unreacted. The formed rare earth fluoride can subsequently be processed in the same reactor through an electrolysis route so that RE can be deposited as a cathode product. The results of XRD and EPMA analysis of the reacted samples indicate that AlF3, ZnF2 and FeF3 can act as strong fluorinating agents for extraction of rare earth from NdFeB magnet, converting the RE to REF3. The results confirm the feasibility of the rare earth metals recovery from scrap NdFeB magnet as raw material. The fluoride conversion-electrolysis route suggested in the present work enables the extraction of rare earth metals in a single step using the above-mentioned fluxes.
KW - Fluorination
KW - Rare earth
KW - Rare earth magnet
KW - Recycling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016004685&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2320/matertrans.MK201617
DO - 10.2320/matertrans.MK201617
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85016004685
SN - 1345-9678
VL - 58
SP - 400
EP - 405
JO - Materials Transactions
JF - Materials Transactions
IS - 3
ER -