Production of Neodymium and Other Rare Earth Metals Using Hydrogen Augmented Magnesium Alloy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025109460-A1
Application number	US-202418902527-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2024
Priority date	Sep 29, 2023
Publication date	Apr 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of producing a neodymium metal can include mixing a dissolution agent comprising magnesium with a neodymium-containing feedstock. The dissolution agent and the neodymium-containing feedstock can be heated to an elevated temperature above a melting temperature of the dissolution agent to form a neodymium-magnesium alloy. The neodymium-magnesium alloy can be exposed to hydrogen gas to convert neodymium in the alloy to a neodymium hydride. The neodymium hydride can be separated from the magnesium in the alloy. The neodymium can be optionally dehydrogenated to yield a purified neodymium product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of producing a neodymium metal, comprising:
mixing a dissolution agent with a neodymium-containing feedstock, wherein the dissolution agent comprises magnesium; heating the mixed dissolution agent and feedstock to an elevated temperature above a melting temperature of the dissolution agent to form a neodymium-magnesium alloy; exposing the neodymium-magnesium alloy to hydrogen gas to convert neodymium in the alloy to a neodymium hydride; separating the neodymium hydride from the magnesium in the alloy; and optionally dehydrogenating the neodymium hydride to form a neodymium metal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating a waste material from the neodymium-magnesium alloy.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating step and the exposing the alloy to hydrogen gas step are performed at least partially simultaneously.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neodymium-magnesium alloy is exposed to hydrogen gas after the heating, wherein the mixed dissolution agent and feedstock are heated under an argon atmosphere followed by the hydrogenating under a hydrogen atmosphere.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neodymium-magnesium alloy is exposed to hydrogen under a hydrogen atmosphere, or by bubbling hydrogen gas through the alloy in a molten state, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a fluxing agent is mixed with the dissolution agent and the feedstock.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluxing agent is selected from the group consisting of a halide salt, a borate-based flux, or a combination thereof.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluxing agent comprises CaCl 2 .

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a weight ratio of neodymium to the fluxing agent during the heating is from about 1:5 to about 1:3.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dissolution agent is Mg metal, MgH 2 , or a combination thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is a neodymium oxide-containing material and wherein the heating step further comprises a portion of the magnesium dissolution agent acting as a reducing agent to reduce the neodymium oxide.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein MgO is a byproduct of reducing neodymium oxide.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the weight ratio of neodymium oxide in the feedstock to the dissolution agent when the feedstock is mixed with the dissolution agent is from about 1:5 to about 1:3.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedstock comprises a neodymium-containing waste, a recycled neodymium-containing material, a neodymium-containing scrap material, or a combination thereof.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the feedstock comprises a recycled neodymium magnet material.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising hydrogenating the feedstock before mixing the feedstock with the dissolution agent.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising comminuting the feedstock before mixing the feedstock with the dissolution agent.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixed dissolution agent and feedstock are heated at a temperature from about 560° C. to about 850° C.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neodymium-magnesium alloy is exposed to hydrogen at a hydrogenation temperature from about 560° C. to about 850° C.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation temperature from about 560° C. to about 850° C.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dehydrogenation is performed at a dehydrogenation temperature from about 760° C. to about 1100° C.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the neodymium hydride from the magnesium comprises separating the neodymium hydride from the alloy by precipitating the neodymium hydride as a solid from the alloy in a molten state.

Assignees

• Univ Utah Res Found

Inventors

• Alley Munro
• Sun Pei
• Fang Zhigang Zak

Classifications

• C22C28/00

  Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00 · CPC title

• C22C1/02

  by melting {(C22C1/1036 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C22C23/06

  with a rare earth metal as the next major constituent · CPC title

• C22B59/00 Primary

  Obtaining rare earth metals · CPC title

• C22B7/004

  separating two or more metals by melting out (liquation), i.e. heating above the temperature of the lower melting metal component(s); by fractional crystallisation (controlled freezing) · CPC title