Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 62 views

    Magnet Recycling: Rethinking Scrap Collection and Separation

    Uploaded by

    Berk Gülörten

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Magnet Recycling: Rethinking Scrap Collection and Separation

    Uploaded by

    Berk Gülörten
    62 views16 pages

    Original Title

    2RockLink Final

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    62 views16 pages

    Magnet Recycling: Rethinking Scrap Collection and Separation

    Uploaded by

    Berk Gülörten

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 16

    MAGNET RECYCLING: RETHINKING SCRAP COLLECTION

    AND SEPARATION
    LEONARD ANSORGE I ROCKLINK GMBH I 01.10.2020

    REIA Webinar on Rare Earth Elements in


    Sustainable Circular Economy
    SUMMARY

    1 Rocklink: Business units and solutions

    2 Current state of magnet recycling

    3 Rethinking magnet scrap collection and separation

    4 Magnet recycling: Future trends

    1
    A GLOBAL GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT

    • Recycling group with a focus on non-ferrous metal recycling – Ree, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, V
    • Operations in Germany, China, Malaysia & Philippines
    • Fully integrated value chain from waste collection to raw materials supply
    • Founding member of the Global Rare Earth Association

    2
    Business Units

    Petromine Int. Holding, HK


    $180m *
    in sales
    Rare Metals Recycling Fine Chemicals & Metals

    Li-Ion Batteries and Raw Materials Rare Earth (oxides, metals, speciality)
    34.000
    metric tons recycled
    Magnets (NdFeB, SmCo, AlNiCo) Cobalt (oxides, sulfates)

    Spent Catalysts Nickel (oxides, sulfates) BU Li-Ion Batteries


    +310 % YOY
    Industrial Slurries and Concentrates Manganese (oxides, sulfates)

    Waste Management Lithium (carbonates)


    BU Magnets
    + 28% YOY

    470
    Employees in 7 countries

    In 2019
    *Group sales and commissions

    3
    STRATEGIC ORIENTATION: ONE STOP SOLUTION FOR EV DRIVETRAIN RECYCLING

    Rocklink proposes a one-stop solution to enable a sustainable, transparent and fully


    integrated recovery of EV drivetrain critical raw materials

    Recycling Centers

    Electric Motors Lithium Ion Batteries

    4
    Current state of magnet recycling

    5
    RECYCLING POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT

    • Rare earth material flow analysis is based on 5 factors that define the recycling potential
    • Collection, separation and recovery operations are customized to material streams
    • Highest recycling potential for magnet scrap and magnet assemblies

    Accessibility
    Sources, Locations & Frequency
    Volumes
    Time spans for availability

    Recycling
    Potential
    Rare Earth
    Concentration
    TREE & HREE Weight-%

    Legal Restrictions
    DG & Waste classifications
    Assembly Complexity
    Separation & Handling Costs

    6
    REUSE: DIRECT, RL&T

    Waste Hierarchy: Reuse > Recycling > Disposal

    Direct Reuse Reverse Logistics & Technology

    • Internal reuse of production • Reuse of recovered magnets or


    scrap or powders assemblies as spare parts
    • Commonly implemented in • Maintains component and not
    the production of plastic- raw material value
    bonded and sintered NdFeB
    • Lowest ecological footprint
    magnets
    among all approaches
    • New cradle to cradle and
    • Commonly implemented in ICT
    magnet to magnet
    and marketed as refurbished
    approaches for EOL magnet
    parts
    scrap implemented and in
    development • Best practice cases: Google,
    LiTong (Re-Teck), Grundfos,
    • Grinding swarf and oxidized
    Repair programs for PM
    scrap are not feasible for
    generators & motors
    direct reuse
    © LiTong Group

    7
    RECYCLING: HYDROMETALLURGY

    • Solvent extraction is the dominant recycling technology applied today


    • Almost all operations are located in PRC and South-East Asia
    • Selected rare earth precipitation I rare earth separation I purification & calcination
    • Sludge, scrap, powder as input materials I Minor restrictions on impurities I High,
    continuous output quality
    • Primary vs. secondary oxide: no variances in purity and magnet performance

    8
    Rethinking magnet scrap collection
    and separation

    9
    RE-Thinking: Collection and Separation

    Objectives
    ▪ Increase recycling efficiency and material homogenity
    ▪ Safe transport and handling of magnetized scrap
    ▪ Create added value for waste generators or recyclers
    ▪ Highest recovery value: Module > Magnet > CRM

    Challenges

    ▪ Material type identification on module level


    ▪ Complex product designs and application of hybrid materials
    ▪ New innovations (grain boundary diffusion, net shape) drive
    down scrap value
    ▪ Costs outweigh benefits for conventional collection and
    separation
    ▪ Low scrap volumes do not enable industrial scale recycling

    Solution

    ▪ Legal framework for mandatory recovery


    ▪ AI database and provision of Labelling / Product Passports to
    support classification
    ▪ Design for recycling, e.g. surface mounted vs. embedded
    magnets
    ▪ Specialized collection programs to target material sources
    ▪ Centralized semi-automated disassembly
    ▪ Promote an open market for refurbished parts
    MAGCYCLE

    • First magnet take back program worldwide for NdFeB, AlNiCo, SmCo
    • Founded by Rocklink in 2018
    • Collection of magnet scrap by mail starting from 25 kgs annually
    • ~ 70 participants and 16 tons magnet scrap collected annually

    11
    SEPARATION APPROACHES

    Permanent magnet assemblies have unique characteristics and lot sizes are small.
    A separation assessment on a batch by batch basis is required in consideration of multiple
    characteristics:

    Volumes
    Manual separation
    Module design
    ◼ Tools
    ◼ Standard / Customized jigs Separation complexity

    Homogenity

    Automated separation
    Valuable content
    ◼ Convential recycling equipment
    ◼ Robotics
    ◼ H2 precipitation Recovery yield loss

    Downstream potentials

    12
    Magnet Recycling: Future Trends

    13
    MAGNET RECYCLING: FUTURE TRENDS

    • Considerations by MIIT and MEE to reclassify selected scrap materials as “raw


    materials” to enable imports to PRC. Potential to lift ban on RE scrap imports
    that is in place for more than 8 years.

    • Increasing permanent magnet scrap volumes and availability within the next 5 -
    10 years, mainly driven by wind power and automotive applications

    • Diversity of recycling solutions will increase, and enhanced separation


    technologies will be required to qualify scrap materials for optimal recovery
    routes

    • Challenges to establish large scale recycling operations outside of PRC will


    remain in the midterm due to low scrap volumes and dependency on EOL
    streams

    • Greater consumer awareness and expectations towards corporate


    environmental responsibility

    14
    Thank you for your attention.

    15

    You might also like