Discarded computer hard drives could become an important source of valuable raw materials for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other advanced technologies. Researchers in Germany are developing innovative recycling methods to recover critical metals from old hard drive magnets, potentially reducing Europe’s dependence on imported materials.
The research is part of the European Union funded NEO-CYCLE project, involving scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) and TU Bergakademie Freiberg. The team is focusing on recovering neodymium, iron and boron from discarded hard disk drives.
These materials are used to manufacture powerful neodymium iron boron permanent magnets, which are essential components in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, smartphones, speakers and other electronic products.
Two Innovative Methods to Recover Valuable Metals
Researchers are testing two different approaches to extract useful materials from discarded magnets.
The first method known as solid state chlorination, uses ammonium chloride instead of conventional hydrochloric acid. When the mixture of recovered magnet materials and ammonium chloride is heated, it produces metal chlorides and a high purity ammonia solution.
The technique is based on a patented process previously used for recycling fluorescent lamps. Initial laboratory results indicate that it can separate metal compounds efficiently while extracting nearly all the metals with relatively small amounts of chemicals.
The second approach uses electrochemical processing. In this method, powdered magnet waste is placed inside an electrochemical cell containing an electrolyte, such as diluted sulphuric acid.
The process initially extracts boron into a solution, where it can be concentrated and potentially reused in chemical and pharmaceutical applications.
Recovered Materials Could Support Multiple Industries
Following the initial extraction, researchers at Fraunhofer IKTS use hydrometallurgical techniques to separate neodymium and iron. The aim is to obtain these valuable materials in highly purified salt forms for further industrial processing.
The recovered resources could support several sectors, including chemical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, hydrogen production and fertiliser industries.
Scientists are also exploring ways to transform recovered materials into higher value products, helping establish a circular supply chain in which discarded electronic components become valuable resources for new manufacturing.
Reducing Europe’s Dependence on Imported Critical Metals
Neodymium is particularly important for Europe’s clean energy transition, but the region remains heavily dependent on imports. According to Fraunhofer, around 90% of its neodymium supply is imported from China. Much of Europe’s collected magnet waste is also sent to China for processing before the recovered materials are imported again.
Developing domestic recycling capabilities could help reduce this dependence while making better use of electronic waste.
The four year NEO-CYCLE project, funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, has completed laboratory scale testing of the recovery methods. Researchers are now planning the next stage, which includes developing a pilot plant.
The long term goal is to establish an economically and environmentally sustainable recycling process that recovers high quality metals while reducing chemical and water consumption.
If successful, the technology could turn discarded computer hard drives into an important resource for Europe’s industrial and clean energy future.