We all know how important recycling is when it comes to protecting the earth. But did you know that recycling also has an economic component? To put it into perspective, think about rare earth metals. While you may not realize it, rare earth metals are a significant part of the technology we use on a daily basis: touchscreen phones, rechargeable batteries, and even computer hard drives. Unfortunately, these elements are found in low concentrations. China produced about 97 percent of the world’s supply of rare earth elements as recently as 2010, which was also the year the country decided to limit exports. As a way to combat the increased prices of rare earth metals, companies are looking into recycling these materials from existing products. This isn’t as easy as recycling plastic or glass, however, so researchers are working on ways to develop rare earth metals recycling technology. Researchers at the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) and Ames Laboratory invented an acid-free dissolution rare-earth magnet recycling process. The process, where magnets are dissolved in water-based solutions, earned a 2018 Notable Technology Development Award from the Federal Laboratories Consortium (FLC). During the recycling process, more than 99 percent purity rare earth elements are recovered. When used to recycle cobalt-containing magnetic wastes, cobalt is also recovered. These recovered rare earth materials are then reused to make new magnets, and the cobalt has the potential to be used to make battery cathodes. This technology initially emerged from the analysis of industrially-generated wastes from three U.S.-based magnet manufacturing and processing companies. Partnering with these companies allowed researchers to obtain materials comparable to those used in real-life situations. For more up-to-date magnetic news concerning rare earth magnets, check out our blog or subscribe to our monthly newsletter. You’ll also get access to exclusive deals and sales!