Dr. Daniel Mader explains how the attempt to save on pollution and harm the Soviet Union made China dominate the rare metals market – and now the West is trying to turn the wheel back
By Dr. Daniel Mader, Zivata - Science and Environment News Agency/
Telephones, computers, electric cars, and even military technologies for navigation and threat detection – all contain, among other things, some types of rare metals. Although these metals do not make up a large part of the product, they are IrreplaceableBut their production and processing is under a monopoly of China. Given the ups and downs in tense US-China relations, it would probably be wise for the West to think about new sources of rare metals. A study examined how recycle components in electric cars and extract the rare metals from them in order to use them again. In this way, it is possible to reduce dependence on other countries, reduce the extent of metal mining, produce less waste and protect the environment more. Has the perfect solution been found for recycling natural resources?
The rare metal's sauce
"Some of the rare metals make it possible to assemble small, strong magnets," says Dr. Daniel Madar, a researcher and consultant in the field of environmental sciences at SP Interface. "We depend on them because using other materials would make magnets in components such as motors larger and waste energy. Using other materials would require batteries that are 10 times larger or more. This would not be suitable for drones and cars, for example," Madar explains. According to him, attempts are being made to find substitutes, but even in cases where a possible solution has been reached, it is still limited in scope, not immediately available, and not economically viable.
According to Madar, over the past 50 years, the Chinese monopoly has developed as a result of a deliberate economic move by the West to abandon the production and processing of metals on its territory. "The West, led by the United States, promoted the transfer of processing and industrial production to communist China in order to reduce production costs (manpower in China is cheaper) and also with the intention of harming the former communist Soviet Union (the West's enemy during the Cold War) by strengthening relations with China," he explains.
"This move subsequently led to a reduction in industrial pollution in the West, because strict environmental regulations in the West made it difficult for polluting industries to continue to exist in the West, while environmental regulations that did not exist in China (until about 15 years ago) encouraged the establishment of industry there," he says. In April, in response to tariffs imposed by Trump on imports of goods into the United States, China announced export restrictions on materials containing metals such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. Since then, relations between the United States and China have thawed.
A restriction like the one announced in April is an example of the challenges facing a modern lifestyle that has become dependent on complex international supply chains. "In recent years, especially since the Corona, the West has realized that there is a strategic problem Relying on China for the rest", says Madar. We have all seen how the stability of product supplies is undermined in times of political, security, economic and health crises. However, and in light of the climate crisis and the need to transition to renewable energy that will power more and more electrical devices, there is a need for a constant source of these essential metals. As part of the attempt to reduce this dependence, various countries have reopened mines that had been closed or established metal processing facilities on their territory.
The ability to extract rare metals from waste is developing rapidly. Photo: unsplash
Car recycling
Another option is to recycle the materials already in the possession of consumers and states and use them freely. A research team from the University of Bologna published Article which deals with the possibility of recycling these metals from components found In electric vehicles Out of use.
According to the article, the ability to extract rare metals from waste is developing rapidly: by 2050, three-quarters of Europe’s metal supply is expected to come this way. However, until now these important metals have been all but forgotten in the global recycling industry. While metals recycling focuses on extracting other metals such as iron, aluminum and copper, only XNUMX percent of rare metals are recycled globally.
Agency The International Energy Agency predicts that electric vehicle use will increase from about 30 million vehicles in 2022 to 250 million by 2030. This increase will increase the need for “neo” magnets, which are made up of the chemical elements iron, boron and the rare earth metal neodymium. These magnets have strong magnetic properties that are good for designing smaller, more efficient motors. According to the agency, as electric vehicle use increases and the number of cars ending their lives increases, it is inevitable that the issue of improving and advancing the ability to extract the magnets from electric motors will be on the agenda.
Dismantling vehicles
The study examined the practical and economic potential of recycling metals and magnets from various components such as electric motors, air conditioners, power steering, and transmissions in various vehicles. The test was conducted at metal treatment and recycling facilities in Italy and included vehicles representing different types of cars. The Fiat 500 Electric represented a small car, the Fiat Ducato Electric represented a van, and the Jeep Compass Hybrid represented a hybrid vehicle. For each car, the amount of work required to dismantle each component and the amount of rare materials that could be recycled from it were taken into account. The team then compared the value of the metals they were able to extract with the cost of the labor required to obtain them, in order to quantify the economic viability of recycling.
Over 300 grams of the rare metal neodymium were extracted from the electric motors of both Fiat models, and dozens more grams of the metal were found in the hybrid Jeep. In total, rare metals worth about 60–90 euros can be extracted from the Fiat electric cars and about 30 euros from the Jeep. This sounds like a small amount compared to the cost of a car, but it depends on them to drive.
This suggests that at this stage, recycling the necessary materials from electric cars is not economically efficient for many components. That is, the cost of the labor invested in dismantling the car into components and finding the metals and magnets exceeds the value of the metals that are extracted. "This means that if they want to recycle the metals, a partial subsidy will be needed," says Madar. Therefore, the research team suggests that the possibility of recycling be included in the considerations DesignThat is, at the vehicle design stage, it must be taken into account that the components with recycling potential will be placed in a location accessible to the recycling facility workers. For example, that the components will have low connectivity with the rest of the vehicle structure and will not be blocked by blades or steel plates. This way, accessibility to the components will increase and the work time dedicated to dismantling the component from the car will be shortened and recycling costs will decrease.
Travel to the future
Madar makes it clear that such a solution will take a long time, and in the meantime the world will continue to rely on metal mining or other materials and technologies will be invented that will reduce the need for rare metals. "Perhaps in 20 years such an idea will succeed in establishing a stable supply chain of these materials and create Circular economy", he says. Today, electric vehicles are entering the market, but most vehicles that end their lives are not electric, so the recycling of metals like neodymium is still a marginal part of the market.
However, according to Madar, more research is needed to better understand the issue. "The research focused on specific metals and vehicles. If you want to test how economically it is worth recycling rare metals, then you need to test more metals and more products," he concludes.
Telephones, computers, electric cars, and even military technologies for navigation and threat detection – all contain, among other things, some types of rare metals. Although these metals do not make up a large part of the product, they are IrreplaceableBut their production and processing is under a monopoly of China. Given the ups and downs in tense US-China relations, it would probably be wise for the West to think about new sources of rare metals. A study examined how recycle components in electric cars and extract the rare metals from them in order to use them again. In this way, it is possible to reduce dependence on other countries, reduce the extent of metal mining, produce less waste and protect the environment more. Has the perfect solution been found for recycling natural resources?
The rare metal's sauce
"Some of the rare metals make it possible to assemble small, strong magnets," says Dr. Daniel Madar, a researcher and consultant in the field of environmental sciences at SP Interface. "We depend on them because using other materials would make magnets in components such as motors larger and waste energy. Using other materials would require batteries that are 10 times larger or more. This would not be suitable for drones and cars, for example," Madar explains. According to him, attempts are being made to find substitutes, but even in cases where a possible solution has been reached, it is still limited in scope, not immediately available, and not economically viable.
According to Madar, over the past 50 years, the Chinese monopoly has developed as a result of a deliberate economic move by the West to abandon the production and processing of metals on its territory. "The West, led by the United States, promoted the transfer of processing and industrial production to communist China in order to reduce production costs (manpower in China is cheaper) and also with the intention of harming the former communist Soviet Union (the West's enemy during the Cold War) by strengthening relations with China," he explains.
"This move subsequently led to a reduction in industrial pollution in the West, because strict environmental regulations in the West made it difficult for polluting industries to continue to exist in the West, while environmental regulations that did not exist in China (until about 15 years ago) encouraged the establishment of industry there," he says. In April, in response to tariffs imposed by Trump on imports of goods into the United States, China announced export restrictions on materials containing metals such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. Since then, relations between the United States and China have thawed.
A restriction like the one announced in April is an example of the challenges facing a modern lifestyle that has become dependent on complex international supply chains. "In recent years, especially since the Corona, the West has realized that there is a strategic problem Relying on China for the rest", says Madar. We have all seen how the stability of product supplies is undermined in times of political, security, economic and health crises. However, and in light of the climate crisis and the need to transition to renewable energy that will power more and more electrical devices, there is a need for a constant source of these essential metals. As part of the attempt to reduce this dependence, various countries have reopened mines that had been closed or established metal processing facilities on their territory.
Car recycling
Another option is to recycle the materials already in the possession of consumers and states and use them freely. A research team from the University of Bologna published Article which deals with the possibility of recycling these metals from components found In electric vehicles Out of use.
According to the article, the ability to extract rare metals from waste is developing rapidly: by 2050, three-quarters of Europe’s metal supply is expected to come this way. However, until now these important metals have been all but forgotten in the global recycling industry. While metals recycling focuses on extracting other metals such as iron, aluminum and copper, only XNUMX percent of rare metals are recycled globally.
Agency The International Energy Agency predicts that electric vehicle use will increase from about 30 million vehicles in 2022 to 250 million by 2030. This increase will increase the need for “neo” magnets, which are made up of the chemical elements iron, boron and the rare earth metal neodymium. These magnets have strong magnetic properties that are good for designing smaller, more efficient motors. According to the agency, as electric vehicle use increases and the number of cars ending their lives increases, it is inevitable that the issue of improving and advancing the ability to extract the magnets from electric motors will be on the agenda.
Dismantling vehicles
The study examined the practical and economic potential of recycling metals and magnets from various components such as electric motors, air conditioners, power steering, and transmissions in various vehicles. The test was conducted at metal treatment and recycling facilities in Italy and included vehicles representing different types of cars. The Fiat 500 Electric represented a small car, the Fiat Ducato Electric represented a van, and the Jeep Compass Hybrid represented a hybrid vehicle. For each car, the amount of work required to dismantle each component and the amount of rare materials that could be recycled from it were taken into account. The team then compared the value of the metals they were able to extract with the cost of the labor required to obtain them, in order to quantify the economic viability of recycling.
Over 300 grams of the rare metal neodymium were extracted from the electric motors of both Fiat models, and dozens more grams of the metal were found in the hybrid Jeep. In total, rare metals worth about 60–90 euros can be extracted from the Fiat electric cars and about 30 euros from the Jeep. This sounds like a small amount compared to the cost of a car, but it depends on them to drive.
This suggests that at this stage, recycling the necessary materials from electric cars is not economically efficient for many components. That is, the cost of the labor invested in dismantling the car into components and finding the metals and magnets exceeds the value of the metals that are extracted. "This means that if they want to recycle the metals, a partial subsidy will be needed," says Madar. Therefore, the research team suggests that the possibility of recycling be included in the considerations DesignThat is, at the vehicle design stage, it must be taken into account that the components with recycling potential will be placed in a location accessible to the recycling facility workers. For example, that the components will have low connectivity with the rest of the vehicle structure and will not be blocked by blades or steel plates. This way, accessibility to the components will increase and the work time dedicated to dismantling the component from the car will be shortened and recycling costs will decrease.
Travel to the future
Madar makes it clear that such a solution will take a long time, and in the meantime the world will continue to rely on metal mining or other materials and technologies will be invented that will reduce the need for rare metals. "Perhaps in 20 years such an idea will succeed in establishing a stable supply chain of these materials and create Circular economy", he says. Today, electric vehicles are entering the market, but most vehicles that end their lives are not electric, so the recycling of metals like neodymium is still a marginal part of the market.
However, according to Madar, more research is needed to better understand the issue. "The research focused on specific metals and vehicles. If you want to test how economically it is worth recycling rare metals, then you need to test more metals and more products," he concludes.
