Premium
Closing the Lifecycle of Rare Earth Magnets: Discovery of Neodymium in Slag from Steel Mills
Author(s) -
Bandara H. M. Dhammika,
Mantell Mark A.,
Darcy Julia W.,
Emmert Marion H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
energy technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 2194-4296
pISSN - 2194-4288
DOI - 10.1002/ente.201402162
Subject(s) - scrap , neodymium , rare earth , slag (welding) , rare earth element , neodymium magnet , metallurgy , magnet , materials science , waste management , engineering , mechanical engineering , laser , physics , optics
Analysis of slag from steel mini‐mills reveals that substantial amounts of the rare earth element neodymium (Nd, an average of 0.032 wt % in the tested samples) are present in this waste product. This provides insight into a currently unknown part of the rare earth lifecycle after the end‐of‐life for rare earth magnet motors. Furthermore, slag from steel mini‐mills that reprocess steel scrap is therefore an important potential source of the rare earth element Nd especially in countries without established mining operations or direct access to rare earth ores.