Recovery of neodymium from a mixture of magnet scrap and other scrap

A novel neodymium (Nd) extraction process was devised and its feasibility was demonstrated in order to establish an environment-friendly process that combined scraps containing valuable metals. The newly developed device can simultaneously accomplish continuous extraction of Nd metal from scraps, re-extraction of magnesium (Mg) from Mg–Nd alloy, and finally, recovery of pure Mg. As a result, Nd metal of 98% purity was directly recovered from magnet scraps under certain conditions. Major process parameters, such as Mg/scrap mass ratio and extraction temperature, were investigated in order to evaluate the optimum conditions. The results of the investigated process indicated the possibility of extracting Nd metal directly from magnet scraps.