CMI research is addressing the supply chain vulnerabilities for critical materials like neodymium. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Ames National Laboratory developed a new process for neodymium magnet fabrication that generates high-purity material at high efficiency.
“We hope this method becomes a cornerstone for domestic production of neodymium magnets,” said author and LLNL scientist Eunjeong Kim. “It can enable a truly U.S.-based ‘mine-to-magnet’ manufacturing chain from rare-earth mining and separation to final magnet fabrication, reducing reliance on overseas processing.”
The United States has neodymium deposits, but refining the material has remained out of reach due to the energy-intensive process, permitting restrictions and the lack of a qualified workforce.
The new method could address all three barriers. It operates based on chloride molten salt electrolysis. In basic terms, neodymium enters the system attached to chloride ions. The electrolysis setup uses electricity to split the incoming molecules apart, pulling the neodymium to one end of the system (the cathode) and the chloride to the other (the anode).
“This is economically advantageous,” said Kim. “Production costs can be reduced from over $14 per kilogram of neodymium in conventional methods to approximately $5 per kilogram using our method.”
This work represents a strong collaboration within the Critical Materials Innovation Hub. CWRU led the electrochemical design and process modeling. LLNL contributed materials characterization and anode fabrication, and Ames used the material produced to fabricate magnets that were comparable to industry standards.
Link to the full story: Energy-efficient process delivers rare-earth element for magnets