Highlights
- German research team discovers radically more efficient method for extracting rare earth elements using magnetic field-assisted solvent extraction.
- Lab experiments showed extraction speed increased 18-fold by applying a small NdFeB magnet.
- Method has potential for more precise and environmentally friendly REE processing.
- Could transform REE separation, offering promising implications for electronics recycling, EV motors, wind turbines, and advanced technology manufacturing.
A team of German researchers has discovered a radically more efficient way to extract rare earth elements (REEs) by applying magnetic fields to traditional solvent extraction—potentially reshaping how critical materials like dysprosium and terbium are separated at industrial scale.
Led by Dr. Kilian Ortmann, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (opens in a new tab) and Technische Universität Dresden (opens in a new tab), and colleagues the team hypothesized that transforming magnetic fields into solvent extraction enhances both the speed and selectivity of REE separation by inducing solutomagnetic convection—a magnetic-force-driven mixing effect that boosts reaction rates.
Key Findings
In lab experiments using Dy(III)—the trivalent form of dysprosium, a critical heavy rare earth used in permanent magnets—the team demonstrated that:
- Applying a small NdFeB magnet increased extraction speed by over 18-fold when the magnetic field intensity was doubled.
- This magnetic enhancement caused a symmetry-breaking instability, generating flow patterns that actively pulled fresh REE solution to the interface for rapid separation.
- The system’s performance scaled strongly with magnetic field strength, following a B⁴.²⁸ power law—a potential game-changer for batch or continuous operations.
Using laser imaging and numerical simulations, researchers identified three distinct flow phases: initial symmetrical vortex rings, symmetry-breaking plumes that boost mixing, and a quasi-steady recirculation state that maximizes REE transfer.
Implications:
For investors and innovators in rare earth refining, this work introduces potentially, a scalable physics-based enhancement to a decades-old chemical process.
But what about commercial readiness? This proof-of-concept uses common permanent magnets and standard extractants (like PC88A), suggesting near-term adaptability to existing solvent extraction infrastructure.
On the topic of environmental benefit, fewer extraction stages, reduced solvent use, and lower energy inputs could significantly reduce waste, emissions, and costs. Also heavy REEs like Dy(III), Ho(III), and Er(III)—which are more magnetically susceptible—could be separated with greater precision, potentially reducing the number of mixer-settler steps from hundreds to dozens.
Finally the potential for recycling is intriguing. More efficient separation could improve economic viability of REE recovery from end-of-life electronics and magnets.
Limitations
- The study focused only on single-ion systems (Dy(III)); tests with mixed REE solutions are pending.
- Backward reaction kinetics were excluded, meaning real-world equilibrium behavior is not fully captured.
- Current results were achieved under carefully controlled lab conditions (Hele-Shaw cells, laser PIV imaging); scale-up will require design innovation to integrate magnetic fields into industrial extractors.
- The output needs peer review.
Funding & Acknowledgments
This research was supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) (opens in a new tab) via the German Aerospace Center (DLR), under project MAGSOLEX. The team acknowledged guidance from Professor Jean-Claude Bünzli and technical support from laser and fluid dynamics specialists.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The integration of magnetic field-assisted mixing into solvent extraction marks a promising advance in REE processing. With its strong theoretical basis and lab-verified kinetics boost, this method may allow for more selective, greener, and cost-effective REE separation—particularly for high-value heavy rare earths critical to EV motors, wind turbines, and defense systems.
Next steps include validating the approach with real-world REE mixtures, quantifying selectivity gains, and engineering scale-up pathways—potentially transforming how Europe, the U.S., and their allies compete with China’s dominance in rare earth refining.
Institute of Fluid Dynamics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, D-01328, Germany; Institute of Processing Engineering and Environmental Technology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, D-01069, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7996-5603 (opens in a new tab) Bottom of Form
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