Recently, the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) confirmed the news that HyProMag Ltd — the UK’s first rare earth magnet recycling pilot plant — will be developed further, selected as a key project to develop responsible critical mineral supply chains.

What Is MSP?

First of all, what is MSP? This collaborative effort was established somewhat recently in 2022 between several countries, including Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Canada, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Norway, the US, the UK, and the European Union. Their aim is to help public and private sector investments strive toward zero-carbon goals, creating diverse supply chains for critical minerals (e.g., rare earths).

What Is HyProMag Ltd?

Developed by the University of Birmingham’s Magnetic Materials Group, HyproMag Ltd works to commercialize rare earth magnet recycling. They do this by using the patented Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology.

Professor Allan Walton, Director of the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials says, “This is an extremely exciting development and shows how research from the university has an impact on the global stage. Rare earth magnets play a crucial role in a huge variety of technologies, many of which are used in clean energy applications such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. However, the recycling rates for these materials are very low.”

Walton goes on to explain that this is because rare earth magnets are difficult to separate from components as they are “glued, coated and break up to a magnetized powder on shredding which then sticks to the ferrous scrap.” The HPMS technology essentially provides an efficient method to separate rare earth magnets, producing a demagnetized, purified alloy powder that feeds into parts of the value chain. 

Apex Magnets

At Apex Magnets, we make it our mission to stay on top of the latest magnetic news and technology. If you appreciate staying apprised of magnetic trends, sign up for our monthly newsletter. In the meantime, feel free to explore the myriad of topics on our blog, including DIYs, magnetic hacks, magnetic experiments, and more.