Scientists Develop New Ways To Recover Rare Earths From Old Hard Drives
What Happened
Researchers in the EU-funded NEO-CYCLE project are developing processes to recover neodymium, iron and boron from magnets in discarded computer hard drives. The project is testing two approaches: solid-state chlorination and electrochemical processing. Currently, very few magnets are recycled in Europe, with many sent to China for reprocessing. About 90% of materials such as neodymium are subsequently reimported, according to Fraunhofer IKTS.
Key Takeaways
Recovering rare-earth materials from Europe’s electronic waste could help create a more local supply of strategic resources and reduce reliance on imported raw materials.