About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Rare Metal Extraction & Processing
|
| Presentation Title |
Techno-Economic Assessment of Industrial-Scale Oxygen-Assisted Hydrometallurgical Recycling of NdFeB Permanent Magnets |
| Author(s) |
Sonali Rout, Venkata Lakshmi Borra, Veerababu Gollapalli, M. Akbar Rhamdhani, Nawshad Haque, Chenna Rao Borra |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Sonali Rout |
| Abstract Scope |
Recycling end-of-life NdFeB permanent magnets is a promising route to secure rare earth element (REE) supply while reducing the environmental impacts associated with primary mining and processing. This study presents a techno-economic assessment of an oxygen-assisted hydrometallurgical process for recovering rare earth oxides (REOs) from spent NdFeB permanent magnets, based on experimentally validated reactions and scaled to a production capacity of 100 t/y REOs. A techno-economic model was developed using mass and energy balances, equipment sizing, and process-based cost estimation to evaluate capital investment, operating expenditure, and project profitability. The proposed process requires a total capital investment of ₹166.6 million (US$1.73 million) and yields a positive net present value of approximately ₹3.16 billion (US$32.7 million), demonstrating strong economic viability. Raw materials cost accounted for approximately 90.7% of annual operating expenditure, identifying feedstock and reagent consumption as the dominant cost drivers. The study demonstrates the potential of oxygen-assisted hydrometallurgical recycling for industrial-scale REE recovery. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Hydrometallurgy, Recycling and Secondary Recovery, Extraction and Processing |