CMI Project 2.2.6 Decarbonized metallothermic reduction of recycled rare earths

The main goals of this project are develop kg-level production at ambient conditions of anhydrous rare earth fluoride from the recycled rare earth-containing waste streams without any hydrofluoric acid or ammonium bifluoride use; demonstrate commercial-grade rare earth metal production; and decarbonize rare earth metal production technology from the recycled materials through the synergetic adjustment of recovery and reduction steps (the target is 50-80% reduction of carbon intensity). The outcome of this project will be a successful demonstration of commercial-grade rare earth metal production (kg-scale batches), supported by Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).