Recycling of NdFeB Magnets from Electric Drive Motors of (Hybrid) Electric Vehicles

(Hybrid) electric vehicles are assumed to play a major role in future mobility concepts. Although sales numbers are increasing, little emphasis has been laid on the recycling of some key components such as power electronics or electric motors. Permanent magnet synchronous motors contain considerable amounts of rare earth elements that cannot be recovered in conventional recycling routes. Although their recycling could have large economic, environmental, and strategic advantages, no industrial recycling for permanent magnets is available in western countries at the moment. Regarding the essential steps, dismantling of electric vehicles as well as the extraction of magnets from the rotors, little has been published before. This paper therefore presents and discusses different recycling approaches for the recycling of NdFeB magnets from (hybrid) electric vehicles. Many results stem from the German research project “Recycling of components and strategic metals of electric drive motors.”