China Nonferrous Metallurgy

Based on the composition and phase characteristics of typical NdFeB magnets, this paper elaborates on the current development status of NdFeB waste recycling processes domestically and internationally. Among these, direct recycling processes demonstrate low energy consumption and environmental friendliness, but they are only applicable to NdFeB magnet waste with relatively intact structures. Hydrometallurgical processes can effectively extract elements such as rare earths and iron from NdFeB magnet waste, yet they involve relatively complex procedures, high acid consumption, and generate secondary acidic and alkaline waste. Pyrometallurgical recycling offers shorter process flows suitable for large-scale operations but suffers from high energy consumption and relatively low rare earth element recovery rates. Hybrid processes overcome the shortcomings of both hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical methods, showing promising application prospects. Future development of NdFeB recycling technologies should focus on addressing existing issues such as resource and environmental pollution while strengthening the establishment of fundamental phase transformation thermodynamics databases and microscopic migration kinetics models for valuable metals. Concurrent efforts should prioritize the high-value recycling of non-rare earth metals, driving the NdFeB recycling industry toward greener, lower-cost, shorter-process, and higher-yield development directions.