About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Rare Metal Extraction & Processing
|
| Presentation Title |
Neodymium metal production through metallothermic reduction |
| Author(s) |
Himanshu Tanvar, Brajendra Mishra |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Himanshu Tanvar |
| Abstract Scope |
Neodymium (Nd) metal plays a crucial role in modern technology. Its unique magnetic and electronic properties make it a critical raw material for manufacturing high-strength permanent magnets in wind turbines, electric vehicles and electronic devices. Nd is industrially recovered as oxide, oxalate or halide salt after multistage separation and refining methods applied to the primary minerals such as bastnasite and monazite. The purified product is further reduced to metal, suitable for magnet manufacturing. Electro-metallurgical methods presently account for the largest quantities of Nd metal commercially produced. These processes utilized consumable carbon-based anodes and molten fluoride electrolyte, generating effluents with a significant environmental footprint. This study presents a cost-effective and environmentally friendly metallothermic reduction process for producing magnet-grade Nd metal and master alloy. The approach employs sodium and/or calcium metal as a reducing agent in a low-melting eutectic system to recover directly, Nd metal and master alloys. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Extraction and Processing, Pyrometallurgy, Sustainability |