J. Hidalgo1, L. Sánchez1, A. Siriwardana1, A.M. Martinez2 1 Tecnalia Research & Innovation , Mikeletegi, 2. 20009 San Sebastian, Spain

2 SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, NO-7465 Trondheim, Norway (REE4EU's project coordinator, anamaria.martinez@sintef.no)

REE4EU: Integrated High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) and Ionic Liquid Extraction (ILE) for a strong and independent

European Rare Earth Elements (REE) Supply Chain

www.ree4eu.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 TOPIC SPIRE-07-2015 under Grant Agreement n° 680507.

Due to the growing use of these products and technologies it is envisaged that REE world demand will soon exceed their supply. Therefore, the recycling of

the valuable metals present in PM and batteries at the end of life is very desirable.

However, existing recycling processes (based on traditional hydrometallurgy or pyrometallurgy) use large amounts of hazardous solutions or are based on

processes which require very high energy consumption.

High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) and Ionic Liquid Extraction (ILE), could be very promising alternatives for the development of more efficient and

environmentally friendly recycling processes.

Rare Earth Elements (REE), are key in high

technology and clean energy devices. They

become strategically important metals (Permanent

Magnets (PM)) and are fundamental components

of such devices. Many rechargeable batteries,

highly efficient electric Engines, and generators

contain REE compounds in their composition. For

example, they are used in hard disk drives, hybrid

electric vehicles, wind mills or in everyday

consumer products that content batteries such as

mobile phones, laptops, industrial equipment,

etc…

Apart from lanthanides, many batteries contain

also other valuable metals such as nickel which

are very technologically and economically

important.

BACKGROUND & MOTIVATION

Su

ply

ris

k

Economic importance

REE are high supply risk materials

Source: Report on critical raw materials for the EU (May 2014)

Source: www.frontierrareearths.com

Aplications of REE

Source: www.good.is/infographics

World REE supply

Current REE production countries are low

Source: www.eramet.com

Pyrometallurgical recycling High energy consumption

Hydrometallurgical recycling Large amounts of hazardous solutions

Source: www.nickelhuette.com

Disposal to landfill

Source: www.mibiz.com

Current existing recycling

REE4EU PROJECT

General objective

To develop new, efficient and cost

effective industrial recycling

processes (extraction and production

route) for recovering of REE and

other valuable metals such as nickel

containing EOL products or wastes.

It will make available recycled rare

earth alloys for magnet production

for the first time at industrial scale

The project will develop, validate

and demonstrate in 2 industrially

relevant pilots an innovative rare

earth alloys production route from

permanent magnets and nickel metal

hydride battery waste.

Recover neodymium, dysprosium, other rare earth metals and nickel from EOL

or SWARF permanent magnets and nickel metal hydride batteries

Identify the economic, environmental and societal benefits of the new process technology and the potential innovation in the metal manufacturing and recovery sectors

Create intellectual property in the use of ionic liquids and high temperature

electrochemistry technology in the recycling and recovery of metals

Create new industrial application and employment opportunities

This will increase Europe’s independence from imports and will provide valuable raw materials for fast growing European green-technology industries

Contribute to the development of improved standards in the recycling sector

Objectives

The REE4EU project consortium led by SINTEF, is composed by 14 partners from 7

European countries, representing the full value chain: RE metal producers, PM

manufacturers, SME process engineering companies and LCA experts, large electronics and

battery recycling companies (LCM, VAC, ELKEM, IDENER, A3I-INOVERTIS, SNAM,

STENA). SME technology transfer, innovation specialists as well as chemical and end-user

associations (PNO, CEFIC and AVERE). 4 top research institutes (SINTEF, TECNALIA, UPS’

LABORATOIRE DE GÉNIE and CEA) on high temperature electrolysis, ionic liquids and RE

recycling.

Consortium

Value chain Process

Metal % NiMH Ce (%) 10,5

La (%) 7,2

Nd (%) 3,2

Pr (%) 1,07

Y (%) 0,48

Yb (%) 0,41

Al (%) 1,18

Co (%) 8,1

Fe (%) 1,9

Mn (%) 3,34

Ni (%) 57,5

Metal % SWARF Dy (%) 3,18

Nd (%) 17,8

Pr (%) 0,71

Fe (%) 45,3

Al (%) 0,46

B (%) 0,72

Ca (%) 0,53

Co (%) 1,36

Cu (%) 0,09

Ni (%) 0,55

Zn (%) 0,002

Metal % EOL PM Nd (%) 26,7

Dy (%) 3,70

Pr (%) 0,35

Co (%) 0,03

Cu (%) 0,05

Fe (%) 66,3

Ca (%) 0,04

Al (%) 0,27

B (%) 0,99

ICP Analysis

EOL Magnets Full ingots - Grinded powder

SWARF Sieved ≠ sizes

NiMH battery Sieved powder

Input materials

Precipitation + calcination to get REO

2

Leaching + selective Ionic liquid extraction

1

RE alloy (mischmetal)

High Temperature Electrolysis Process

3

Electrolysis Pelletization

Reuse 4

The targeted integrated solution

is based on recently developed

lab-proven technologies for

direct high temperature

electrolysis of rare earth alloys

production combined with an

innovative and proven Ionic

liquid extraction or tailored

hydrometallurgical pre-

treatment.

The proposed approach will

determine the improvements in

cost and environmental

performance compared to state

of the art technologies. This

includes reduction of process

steps and waste generation and

50% energy savings