Nissan is testing a more efficient way to recycle rare-earth metals from EV motors
The date of:
2021-09-06
viewed:
9
Working since 2017 with Tokyo’s Waseda University, Nissan says it has developed and recently started testing a new recycling process that represents a more efficient and cost-effective way of recovering rare-earth metals from electric motors.The process itself involves heating a used motor to 1,400 degrees Celsius (approximately 2,552 degrees Fahrenheit) so that it melts down. The company then adds an iron oxide to the mixture to oxidize the rare-earth metals, followed by a borate-based flux. The latter substance causes the molten mixture to separate into two liquid layers, with the rare-earth metals floating to the top of the mixture where they can be easily removed.In testing, Nissan claims it’s been able to recover 98 percent of a motor’s rare-earth elements using the new recycling process. The entire procedure also takes about half as much time as manually disassembling a motor, which is what Nissan currently does to recycle rare-earth metals. The company hopes to implement the process by the mid-2020s.If we’re to have any chance to address the climate crisis, finding new and novel ways to recycle and reuse rare-earth metals will be vital. The 17 minerals that make up the rare-earth group are critical to making electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. A 2018 study by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure found a shortage of rare-earth metals is likely to limit the world’s ability to meet the emission reduction targets set out by the Paris climate agreement.
Hot News
/
Related to recommend
2025
-
04
-
02
Click on the number of times:
0
source:SMALL CAPSAlligator Energy (ASX: AGE) has identified multiple uranium anomalies and some rare earth potential in analysis of results from its 2024 exploration program in the Alligator Rivers ur...
2025
-
04
-
01
Click on the number of times:
0
source:Hebrew University of JerusalemResearchers have discovered an unexpected superconducting transition in extremely thin films of niobium diselenide (NbSe2). Publishing in Nature Communications, th...
2025
-
03
-
31
Click on the number of times:
0
source:resourceworldBrazilian Rare Earths Limited [ASX: BRE] reported results of exploration drilling at the Pelé Target 1 Project, located in Bahia, Brazil.The Pelé Project is hosted within...
2025
-
03
-
28
Click on the number of times:
0
source:SMALL CAPSEquinox Resources (ASX: EQN) has recorded high-grade heavy minerals content at its Mata da Corda rare earths project in Brazil.Notably, the company’s initial metallurgical results hav...