Article on rare earths notes CMI technology for acid-free dissolution recycling, which is licensed exclusively to TdVib in Boone, Iowa.
Currently, only around 1% of rare earth elements in outdated items are recycled. However, a strategic increase in recycling efforts could produce up to a quarter of the demand for rare earths over the next decade. This process entails removing rare earths from current high-tech items, such as hard disk drives, and converting them into powdered minerals (rare earth oxides). Acid-free dissolution recycling (ADR) and chemical recovery are two of the most promising recycling processes.
The Critical Materials Institute (CMI) has been working on ADR and chemical recovery of rare earth elements since 2016. Their procedure includes dissolving REE magnets in a solution without using acids. This makes the process a greener and more ecologically friendly approach overall. Ultimately, Recycling REEs from magnets would give producers a consistent, domestic source of rare earths while also minimizing waste.
Link to the full article: Rare Earths MMI: The Rare Earths Downward Spiral Finally Flattens