The World News reported that professors and some researchers at Tokyo University in Japan has invented a brand new method that can recycle rare earths from neodymium magnets effectively, which would produce no polluted liquid throughout the procedure.
Neodymium magnet contains totally 30% of rare earths, like neodymium and dysprosium. However, since it cost quite a lot in the recycling, most of the rare earths are abandoned with other waste. As the strongest artificial permanent magnet, neodymium magnet is widely used in electric and hybrid vehicles, hard drives and many other products.
This method is to put neodymium magnet into solution like zinc iodide and magnesium chloride. Being separated out of the magnet, neodymium and dysprosium will experience steam raising and then, detach from each other. The recycling rate can be as high as 80% to 90%.
Since the iron part does not dissolve from the magnet, there will be no metallic waste in the recycle and will do less harm to the environment. Neodymium magnet applied in electric vehicles and high performance air conditioners will be abandoned 10 years later. It is of great necessity to invent new technology on reusing.