Scaling up a permanent magnet recycling process: towards a sustainable circular economy of rare earth elements

PROJECT COST:

656 456 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

459 519 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Rare earth elements (REEs) play a crucial role in renewable energy technologies, modern electronics, electric vehicles, and even in crystals, where europium doping significantly enhances material lifespan. However, their production is associated with considerable technical, environmental, and geopolitical challenges. Consequently, the supply of these metals in Quebec and Canada is very limited, and the market remains heavily reliant on imports.

This project aims to continue the research efforts and to pilot-scale a clean and sustainable process for extracting and producing REEs from end-of-life materials, such as permanent magnets. By applying this process to permanent magnets, NeoCtech and AEM would ensure the domestic production of high-purity REEs, such as neodymium.

Thus, a preliminary study conducted by NeoCtech based on laboratory tests indicates that profitable REE production could be achieved at a low cost (approximately $2/kg of raw material). By recycling these metals from waste and electrifying the process, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced, particularly in Quebec, which produces renewable electricity. Finally, the scale-up and subsequent commercialization of this process, supported by this program, could lead to the creation of new jobs in Quebec in the short to medium term.