Breakthroughs in Rare Earth Master Alloys for Titanium Alloys and Efficient Recovery of NdFeB Scrap – New Progress from National Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center

English Version:

Recently, the research team led by Professor Zhao Baoyu, Chief Scientist of the Rare Earth Alloy Materials and Application Technology Innovation Platform at the National Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center, has achieved two major technological breakthroughs: the preparation of rare earth master alloys for titanium alloys, and the efficient simultaneous recovery of valuable elements from multi-source NdFeB (neodymium-iron-boron) scrap. These key technological achievements are expected to promote the efficient utilization of rare earth resources, facilitate secondary recycling of rare earths, and optimize and upgrade related industrial chains.

Breakthrough 1: Key technology for preparing rare earth master alloys for titanium alloys

Rare earths can improve the strength and elongation of titanium alloys, enhancing their application performance. However, during the preparation process, the uniformity and recovery rate of rare earths in titanium alloys are difficult to control. Issues such as high raw material costs, poor process stability, and severe element segregation have hindered the practical production and application of rare earth titanium alloys.

Professor Zhao Baoyu’s team innovatively developed an externally coupled aluminothermic reaction controllable preparation technology. By overcoming the technical bottleneck of conventional V-Al master alloys prepared by self-propagating aluminothermic reaction (yield rate below 70%), the team successfully developed a series of multi-component master alloys: V-Al-(RE), V-Al-Mo-(RE), and V-Al-Ti-(RE). The yield rate of these master alloys has been increased to over 90%. This technology effectively solves the problems of high cost of master alloys and sponge titanium (accounting for 22% of raw material costs) and uneven distribution of rare earth elements that require multiple melting steps. As a result, the comprehensive raw material cost for titanium alloys is reduced by more than 12%, paving the way for large-scale production of rare earth titanium alloys and significantly enhancing the value of rare earth resource utilization.

Breakthrough 2: Technology for efficient simultaneous recovery of valuable elements from multi-source NdFeB scrap

The existing recovery process for NdFeB scrap mainly uses an oxidation roasting – hydrochloric acid preferential dissolution process, which focuses on recovering rare earths. The acid leaching residue requires further treatment to recover residual rare earths, iron, cobalt, copper and other valuable elements. This leads to a long process flow, high environmental protection costs, and low economic benefits.

Based on the differences in physicochemical properties of various components in NdFeB scrap under high-temperature controlled conditions, this project has developed a high-temperature phase reconstruction and directional enrichment technology for valuable elements from multi-source NdFeB scrap. This technology achieves simultaneous and efficient recovery of rare earths as well as iron, cobalt, copper and other valuable elements. The recovery rates for rare earths, iron, cobalt and copper all exceed 98%, and the waste residue is reduced by more than 90% at the source.

From “0 to 1” and beyond

Breakthroughs “from 0 to 1” represent original innovations, while technology transfer and application represent the evolution “from 1 to infinity.” Going forward, the National Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center will continue to be guided by technological innovation, strengthen core technology research, address the shortage of key common technology engineering applications in the core field of rare earth functional materials, and play an important role in bridging the “last mile” of technology transfer and achievement transformation. The center will vigorously develop new rare earth productive forces, empowering the high-quality development of the rare earth industry.

Disclaimer: The content of the article is sourced from the internet. All reprinted articles are solely for the purpose of learning and exchange, not for commercial use. If there is any infringement, please contact us promptly for deletion. Thank you for your understanding and support.