Pilots

Pilot 1: Collection and dismantling optimizations

In this pilot, materials from different streams of WEEE, such as HDD (Hard Drives Disks), scooters and speakers and motors from e-mobility, will be collected. Later, the magnets will be extracted and the extraction procedure will be optimized in order to recover magnets ready to be treated in the following Pilots 2 and 3.

Pilot 2: Pyrometallurgy

The main goal of this step in the value chain is to produce hydrometallurgically easier to process interstage products, thus creating economic and ecological benefits, e.g. through a compacter overall flowsheet and reduced use of chemicals.

Pilot 3: Selective leaching

The main objective of this continuous hydrometallurgical process is the selective leaching of the REEs and generating a REEs concentrate for solvent extraction.

Pilot 4: Solvent extraction

Separation of REEs from each other is a challenging task. The similarities between the behaviours during solvent extraction makes the intra-lanthanide separation difficult. For this purpose, many mixer settler units connected in a series are required.

Pilot 5: Electrowinning

Molten salt electrowinning is the final REE refining step and REE oxides will be converted to REE metals/ alloys. Feed materials such as REE fluorides or oxides are received from Pilot 4

Pilot 6: Gas atomization

The main objective is to scale up a direct recycling method of EoL NdFeB magnets based on inert gas atomization.

Pilot 7: Melt spinning

The main objective of this pilot plant is to convert NdFeB alloy powder with low magnetic properties, separated using the patented HPMS process into melt spun flake powders with good magnetic properties. This pilot will be used to convert the HPMS powder into pellets in an inert atmosphere via a pressing stage.

Pilot 8: NeoLeach

In this pilot the REE-rich phase from the hard magnetic phase is separated by means of a hydrometallurgical process (NeoLeach process) downstream of the HPMS process. For this purpose, the HPMS powder is subjected to hydrometallurgical digestion, whereby the REE-rich phase is dissolved.