{"id":19023,"date":"2022-03-01T09:27:18","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T09:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=19023"},"modified":"2022-03-01T09:27:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T09:27:18","slug":"bright-vision-recycling-rare-earth-magnets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/bright-vision-recycling-rare-earth-magnets\/19023\/","title":{"rendered":"A bright vision for the recycling of rare earth magnets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professor Allan Walton, a Founding Director of HyProMag<\/a>, details their pioneering short loop magnet recycling HPMS technology and how their partnerships and collaborations can unlock the global supply chain for the recycling of rare earth magnets.<\/h2>\n

HyProMag Limited is set to become the UK\u2019s first producer of recycled, sintered NdFeB rare earth magnets used in electric vehicles<\/a>, wind turbines and consumer electronics, with its innovative HPMS technology further benefiting from an estimated 88% lower energy usage and close to zero human toxicity versus primary magnet production from a mined source of material.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Less than 5% of rare earth magnets are currently recycled from end-of-life components. HyProMag, together with its strong network of partnerships, access to intellectual property and longstanding experience in the sector, has a significant opportunity to unlock the global supply chain for the recycling of rare earth magnets.<\/p>\n

HyProMag is 42% owned by AIM, and TSXV listed Mkango Resources, which is developing the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project in Malawi and the Pulawy Rare Earth Separation Project in Poland.<\/p>\n

HyProMag is pioneering the commercialisation of short loop magnet recycling via the patented Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology. The HPMS process for extracting and demagnetising neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy powders from magnets embedded in scrap and redundant equipment was originally developed and patented by The Magnetic Materials Group (MMG) in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham2<\/sup> and subsequently licenced to HyProMag. This patent, related intellectual property and know-how are at the core of HyProMag\u2019s business.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

The MMG has been active in rare earth alloys and processing permanent magnets using hydrogen for over 40 years. The founding directors of HyProMag, Professor Emeritus Rex Harris, former Head of the MMG and originator of the hydrogen decrepitation method, Professor Allan Walton, current Head of the MMG, and two Honorary Fellows, Dr John Speight and Mr David Kennedy are leading world experts in the field of rare earth magnetic materials, alloys and hydrogen technology, and have significant industry experience.<\/p>\n

HPMS technology<\/h3>\n

The HPMS process, which was initially designed around hard disk drive scrap containing between 2-20 grams of NdFeB material, has now been applied to a wide range of magnet applications, including automotive, wind turbine, and loudspeaker scrap. During HPMS, the scrap applications are placed in a rotating porous drum inside a pressure vessel. The scrap is exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere, at which point the magnets break apart in around 30-40 minutes. During this reaction, hydrogen is absorbed into the magnet alloy, causing a volume expansion, resulting in the material breaking apart into a friable powder. Crucially this process also demagnetises the magnet material, making it easier to remove from the components during rotation of the porous drum. The hydrogen process also separates any coating material or glue from the surface of the NdFeB material. In subsequent steps, the coatings, glues and any non-magnetic materials are removed by mechanical means producing a purified alloy powder that can be directly remanufactured into new magnets.<\/p>\n

HyProMag Ltd and the University of Birmingham (UoB) are scaling up the HPMS process and subsequent downstream magnet production at two sites: on the UoB campus and at Tyseley Energy Park (TEP) in Birmingham. The two scales of the pilot plant will be capable of separating 50-100kg and up to 400kg of NdFeB powder, respectively, per batch (see Fig. 1). A \u00a34.4m grant has funded the large-scale pilot plant at TEP from Driving the Electric Revolution in the UK. This will build a full-scale sintered magnet production line from HPMS powder.<\/p>\n

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Fig 1: 50-100 kg Pilot HPMS reactor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The HPMS powder will provide an indigenous supply of rare earths to the UK, which can return into the supply chain at multiple points (see Fig. 3), including by;<\/strong><\/p>\n