Recycled rare earth magnets are one solution to the rising demand for minerals used in our tech.
What do you do with an old hard disk drive, the kind that still spins up inside most PCs, once it reaches the end of its life?
Neodymium is a rare earth metal - chemical elements considered essential ingredients in many of today’s must-have technologies, from smartphones to TV screens. Neodymium is used, among other things, to make magnets that turn the motors that drive electric vehicles. Though processes needed to refine rare earths use many of the same chemicals found in oven cleaners and cosmetics, their waste can be destructive if not properly controlled.Next to the mine itself is a tailing dam, a reservoir created by what is left over from separating rare earths.
However, the Hypromag solution will only meet a fraction of the growing demand for rare earths, which analysts estimate will double by 2025.
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