Towards neodymium recycling: Analysis of the availability and recyclability of European waste flows

The world is facing a growing neodymium demand, creating the need for developing a recycling system to handle future waste flows. Recycling technologies are emerging, but the recycling system around them can only be established with knowledge about available end-of-life (EoL) products. Therefore, this study quantified neodymium waste in European countries using material flow analysis, and assessed the recyclability of major EoL products. For 2019, we find a waste flow of 7.7 kt Nd, consisting mostly of NdFeB magnets. HDDs represent a large current waste flow, while the demand for magnets in industrial applications is increasing. In the future, electric vehicle motors and wind turbines likely provide a source of neodymium with good recyclability. Consequently, there will be different product groups that determine the future waste volumes. To manage the changing waste flows, a neodymium recycling system should be developed with the product properties of future waste flows in mind. Meanwhile, the recyclability of products can be improved by addressing bottlenecks in the recycling chain.

Automated summary

The world is experiencing an increasing demand for neodymium, leading to the need for a recycling system to handle future waste flows. This study assessed the neodymium waste in European countries and the recyclability of major end-of-life products. The waste flow for 2019 was found to be 7.7 kt Nd, mainly consisting of NdFeB magnets. HDDs currently contribute to a significant waste flow, while electric vehicle motors and wind turbines are expected to provide a source of recyclable neodymium in the future. To manage changing waste flows, a neodymium recycling system should be developed considering the product properties of future waste flows, and the recyclability of products can be improved by addressing bottlenecks in the recycling chain.