Journal
ISIJ INTERNATIONAL
Volume 60, Issue 11, Pages 2339-2349Publisher
IRON STEEL INST JAPAN KEIDANREN KAIKAN
DOI: 10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2020-320
Keywords
rare-earth magnets; recycling; thermodynamic modeling; oxidation; reduction; magnet; sludge
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Recycling rare-earth magnets poses a metallurgical challenge due to their high reactivity and the difficulty in separating individual rare-earth elements. These challenges are compounded when considering magnet machining sludge, which is more heavily oxidized and contains more contaminants than typical end-of-life magnets. If recycled, these materials are sent back to the primary smelter, where they are separated and purified to make new feedstocks which are often re-mixed into a new magnet. Here, a thermodynamic study is presented, assessing the oxidation behavior of rare-earth magnets. The theoretical minimum energy to reduce the whole magnet sludge, without separation and purification, is also presented. A comprehensive model including 25 elements is provided, using a hybrid CALPHAD-classical method. Oxygen distribution in a rare-earth magnet, with a total O content ranging between 0.09% to 5.4 wt%, is assessed. The results predict a final distribution of 40 wt% rare-earth in the oxide phase, with 60 wt% still remaining in the metallic phase. The model performance with respect to published experimental data is used to shed light into the possible processing methods for recycling.
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