China Society of Rare Earths Advances Gallium Recovery, Magnet Recycling and Scrap Standards at Suzhou Conference

Highlights

• Beijing University of Technology presented methods to recover permanent magnets with fewer processing steps, potentially improving recycling economics.
• Jiangxi University of Science and Technology showcased selective gallium separation from NdFeB scrap, targeting semiconductor-grade recovery.
• China is developing an SN industry standard for imported end-of-life magnets that could affect Western scrap qualification and trade flows.
• Researchers also explored acid-free sludge recycling, samarium-cobalt vacuum distillation, and high-cerium magnet recovery techniques.
• Western recyclers face a growing challenge as China coordinates research across universities, institutes, and industry on integrated recycling systems.