Environmental sustainability of NdFeB magnet recycling: foresight study on recycling systems and technologies

The demand for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets is rapidly growing, while the neodymium supply chain is under pressure. Recycling can alleviate these issues. This thesis investigates the potential for deploying novel magnet recycling technologies and their environmental consequences. This thesis answers four main research questions: 1. What factors determine the success of recycling minor metals (including rare earth elements in magnets) and their recycling systems? 2. What is the volume of NdFeB magnet waste in Europe? Which waste flows are most suitable for recycling? 3. What are the environmental impacts of industrial-scale recycling processes for NdFeB magnets? 4. How does technological learning affect environmental impacts, and how can life cycle assessments (LCAs) address this effect? This research resulted in a framework for assessing the recyclability of minor metals, and guidelines for addressing environmental learning in LCA. For a variety of applications, the amounts of waste magnets have been quantified. Environmental impacts can be reduced by improving magnet recycling technologies and applying them to many types of used magnets.