Sustainable Rare Earth Recycling

The global transition to clean energy relies heavily on rare earth elements (REEs) like Neodymium, Praseodymium, and Dysprosium, which are essential for EV motors and wind turbines. Currently, the U.S. faces critical supply chain vulnerabilities, and traditional REE recycling methods rely on high-energy-consuming, highly toxic, and acid-intensive processes.

To address this, we developed a novel process at Stanford—a breakthrough, strong-acid-free electrochemical technology designed to recover high-purity REEs from end-of-life NdFeB magnets and manufacturing swarf. By operating with low energy consumption and eliminating hazardous acid waste, our process significantly reduces the environmental footprint of critical mineral extraction. This technology offers a scalable, sustainable pathway to create a domestic, circular supply chain for rare earth metals, solving both national security bottlenecks and pressing environmental challenges.