Recycling of permanent magnets of WEEE

Transcription

1 Recycling of permanent magnets of WEEE Challenges and Innovation in Recycling Processes, June, Nour-Eddine Menad & A. Seron BRGM / Waste and Raw Material Unit Challenges and Innovation in Recycling, ENSCP-Chimie Paristech, Paris (France)

2 CONTEXT The developed countries deal with a persistent concern about the supply of rare metals. These rare metals are essential to the development of innovative high-tech industries, and particularly those associated with green energy. The recent political crisis caused by China towards Japan with REE supply in balance (95% of the world's needs) did that amplify those concerns. In this context, the European Union published in July 2014 report 'Critical raw materials for the EU' which classified twenty raw materials (REE) as strategic metals. At the French level, the roadmap to improve the productivity of the resources is marked by the installation in April 2010 strategic metals Plan and the creation of the COMES (Committee for strategic metals) in January 2011.

3 CONTEXT Generally the REE are used in small proportions but their application for mass-market products makes that the world demand quickly increases

4 CONTEXT Forecasts supply/ demand for rare earths in 2016 World Demand World supply t t Cerium t t Neodymium t t Europium t t Dysprosium t t Terbium t t Yttrium t t Ref: Dudley Kingsnorth, IMCOA 02/2012

5 CONTEXT Applications of REE Places of production of magnet 4% 13% 2% China Japan & NE asia USA 81% RW include EU Sources: IMCOA - Lynas Corp.

6 Permanent magnets Reductions of size and weight made possible thanks to the permanent magnets Nd-Fe-B Source: Arnold magnetics

7 Maximum energy product ( MGOe ) Nd-Fe-B Sm-Co Rare earth permanent magnets Nd-Fe-B ingot produced by arc-melting Nd-Fe-B magnets with nickel plating Rare earths : 17 elements Pr Dy Comparative table of maximum energy product for different permanent magnets AlNiCo Ferrite 1

8 Production process of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet Neodymium value chain Nd-Fe-B magnet Nd-Fe-B alloy Manufacturing process for Rare Earth Magnets Pure Nd metal Rare Earth separation Rare earth concentration Mining rare earth ore (mixed) Nd-Fe-B magnets with nickel plating Nd-Fe-B lingot produced by arc-melting

9 CONTEXT European Commission classify Rare Earth as strategic and critical materials (4)

10 CONTEXT Permanent magnet containing REE in WEEE For European (2012) : Total magnet deposit estimated at t/yr Neodymium deposit estimated at 550 t/yr Tripling of volumes by 2016?

11 CONTEXT

12 EXTRADE CONSORTIUM

13 EXTRADE PROJECT WEEE Depollution toxic components Recovery of components containing magnets Shredding Thermal treatment Fragmentation Demagnetized magnets Shredding Classification Magnetic separation Eddy current Separation Manual sorting Iron Scraps Non ferrous metals Plastics and others Powder purification Milling Selective extraction of REE Routine Process Magnetization EXTRADE New magnets

14 EXTRADE PROJECT (Recycling process units) > Thermal treatment (demagnetization) > Electrical (high-voltage electric pulses) and Mechanical treatment to recover magnets from the computer system unit > Route 1 elaboration of new magnets with recycled magnets powder (short loop) Separation of Ni coating from NdFeB magnets Mechanical treatment Chemical treatment: solvo-thermal decrepitation Press-molding in magnetic field / sintering / magnetization > Route 2 extraction of REE using innovative hydrometallurgical techniques Weak & cheap acid selective dissolution Selective recovery of REE using biomaterials 2 Patents in Progress > 2

15 EXTRADE PROJECT REEs containing components in WEEE Hard Disk Drives Metallic support Loudspeakers Magnet Small electric motors

16 EXTRADE PROJECT (Sampling campagns) Sampling of WEEE Manual sorting of HDD Loudspeaker shredding > 2

17 EXTRADE PROJECT (Sampling campagns) Needs sampling

18 Small electrical motors Loudspeakers HDD Manual dismantling Magnet Metallic support Magnet Composite Magnet

19 EXTRADE PROJECT (Characterization) Quantification of magnet in electronic devices Sources Weight % of magnet Computer loudspeakers 4 6 HDD from central unit computer 2.5-2,8 HDD from Laptop 2-3 Small electric motors (A) Small electric motors (B) 0.8 2

20 Mass % of permanent magnet Mass % of permanent magnet EXTRADE PROJECT (Characterization) HDD characterization HDD from central unit computer HDD from Laptop Number of HDD Number of HDD

21 EXTRADE PROJECT (Characterization) Composition of HDD Magnet Plastics Other metals Iron scrap PCB 3% 1% 1% 8% 7% Aluminum 80%

22 EXTRADE PROJECT (Characterization) Coating Nd 2 Fe 14 B Nd 2 Fe 14 B magnet Coating (Ni or Ni/Cu) thickness 28µm Nd Nd O Nd Pr Nd Dy Fe Dy Elem Weight % Nd 2 Fe 14 B Theoritical Fek NdL Fe DyL (B) Total Fe Nd Nd Pr Nd Fe

23 EXTRADE PROCESS (Recovery of magnets from HDD) Demagnetisation Liberation of magnets Mechanical/ Electro-fragmentation HDD Screening HDD free of magnets to metallurgy Permanent magnets

24 EXTRADE PROCESS (Purification of magnet) Isolated permanent magnet Shredding Milling Mechanical Screening Product qualification Solvay-Rhodia Physical sorting NdFeB magnet Ni coating

25 Route 1 elaboration of new magnets with recycled magnets powder (short loop)

26 Precipitation rate, % Route 2 extraction of REE using innovative hydrometallurgical techniques Dissolution kinetics of permanent magnets Precipitation of Fe, Nd, Dy

27 Remaining metals in solution, % Route 2 extraction of REE using innovative hydrometallurgical techniques Selective sorption of REE using biomaterials Nd Dy Fe xa xb xc xd xe xf Bio materials

28 Solvothermal treatment Nd(OH) 3 Fe 3 O 4

29 Conclusions The recycling of permanent magnets: an ecological solution to the difficulties of supply in rare earths Recycling of REE from secondary materials complements the primary mining of REE ores Waste stream of REE was identified Amount of deposit was estimated Recovery of REE from WEEE is challenging but possible Extrade process is under development

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31 CONTEXT (Recycling processes of magnets) PETEC s neodymium magnet recovery system for air conditioning compressor motors Source SANTOKU Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd. PETECK s neodymium magnet recovery system for motors of air conditioner compressors and drum-type washing machines (heating demagnetizing furnace) T. Nemoto, Y. Tanaka, S. Tsujioka, Y. Eryu and T. Takada, Resource Recycling for Sustainable Industrial Development, HITASHI 2011