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TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

Advanced One-Step Coating Removal Process for Neo Permanent Magnet Recycling

An innovative one-step process that transforms neo permanent magnet recycling by efficiently isolating surface coatings, enabling cost-effective re-fabrication with minimized environmental impact.

Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), offers the opportunity to explore a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this One-Step Coating Removal Process for Neo Permanent Magnet Recycling technology. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses, and, ultimately, an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview: The demand for Rare Earth (RE) based permanent magnets, notably Neodymium (NdFeB or neo magnets), continues to grow in fields such as consumer electronics, defense technology, and green energy applications, making the recycling of these valuable materials increasingly crucial. However, the recycling process faces significant challenges, including the effective removal of the metallic coating (often nickel or a nickel-copper alloy) that can compromise the magnetic properties of the reprocessed magnets. This invention presents an innovative solution, designed to not only streamline the recycling process but also conserve energy and reduce waste.

Description: Our groundbreaking process involves a high-temperature chemical technique that selectively and quantitatively isolates the metallic coating from recycled magnets in a single step, eliminating the need for further operations. This process ensures the preservation of the magnetic nature of the processed powder, enabling energy-efficient re-fabrication of both resin-bonded and sintered neo magnets. The technology was developed with an emphasis on versatility, catering to neo magnets from a variety of recyclable resources.

Benefits:

• One-step removal: Achieves quantitative removal of the coating without needing additional operations.


• Energy efficiency: Preserves magnetic character, reducing energy consumption during re-fabrication.


• No waste generation: Avoids solid or liquid waste, promoting sustainable operations.


• Versatility: Applicable to a variety of RE and non-RE materials, expanding its use beyond the specific RE elements.


• Cost-effective: Can be developed as a cost-effective method for recycling both resin-bonded and sintered neo magnets.

Applications:

• Consumer electronics manufacturing: Efficiently recycling discarded magnets from electronic devices.


• Clean energy sectors: Enabling recycled magnet use in applications like wind energy and electric vehicles.


• Defense technologies: Providing a reliable source of RE-based magnets for advanced defense systems.


• Industrial waste management: Transforming spent industrial motors into valuable recyclable materials.

IP Status: US Patent No. 10,323,300, “Process for Recycling Rare Earth Magnets,” BEA Docket No. BA-838.

INL seeks to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.

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