Recycling of permanent magnets: A perspective for application of organic acids and ionic liquids towards eco-friendly process

Neodymium is a crucial element for low-carbon technologies with rising search for new sources due to short-term supply interruption risk. Electronic wastes as secondary sources represent a potential with less environmental impact. However, current technologies face challenges as the development of new gadgets released every year and complexity. Conventional hydrometallurgical routes use inorganic acids and organic extractants. Regardless of completely recovering metals, they are harmful reagents for the environment. Despite this, organic acids (OA) and ionic liquids (IL) are investigated as alternatives to these hydrometallurgical processes. OAs/ILs have the potential to reach eco-friendly routes due to their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. This perspective envisions the recycling of permanent magnets for neodymium recovery using OA and ILs. The current approaches and literature regarding OA/ILs, technical efficiencies in a lab, and pilot scale were analyzed. This approach addressed the technical, economic, and environmental analysis demonstrating OA and IL’s great potential to recover rare earth elements.