Effect of mechanical pre-treatment on the recovery potential of rare-earth elements and gold from discarded hard disc drives

The growing demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) and their limited availability have made REEs critical with high supply risk. E-waste, particularly waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), offers a valuable secondary source. This study assesses the impact of mechanical pre-treatment on the recovery of REEs and gold from discarded hard disk drives (HDDs). We compared recovery efficiencies of REEs and Au using separation techniques, particle sizing, and chemical analyses between two pre-treatment methods: shredding and manual disassembly. Shredding, common in electronic waste processing, leads to oxidation and significant loss of critical raw materials (CRMs), while manual disassembly preserves clean, and non-oxidized NdFeB magnets for magnet-to-magnet recycling. Manually disassembled HDDs were directly analyzed to determine recyclable quantities of REEs and gold. Shredded HDDs underwent sieving, density, and magnetic separation, followed by demagnetization and chemical analysis. Results indicate shredding causes a 73.9% loss of REEs and a 43.8% loss of Au compared to manual disassembly, with increased oxidation due to finer particles. These findings suggest that while shredding is adequate for recovering ferrous and aluminum fractions, manual disassembly is essential for maximizing REE recovery.