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Article

Automated High-Speed Approaches for the Extraction of Permanent Magnets from Hard-Disk Drive Components for the Circular Economy

by
Carlo Burkhardt
1,*,
Francisco Ortiz
2,
Kaies Daoud
3,
Tomas Björnfot
3,
Fredrik Ahrentorp
3,
Jakob Blomgren
3 and
Allan Walton
4
1
Institute for Precious and Technology Metals (STI), Pforzheim University, Tiefenbronner Str. 65, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany
2
Inserma Anoia S.L., C/Narcis Monturiol (Pol. Ind. Plans D’arau) 21, 08787 La Pobla de Claramunt, Spain
3
Research Institutes of Sweden, P.O. Box 8866, SE-402 72 Gothenburg, Sweden
4
Magnetic Materials Group, Metallurgy & Materials, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Magnetism 2024, 4(3), 295-304; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetism4030019
Submission received: 30 May 2024 / Revised: 23 August 2024 / Accepted: 29 August 2024 / Published: 20 September 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exclusive Collection: Papers from the Editorial Board Members of Magnetism)
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Abstract

This work describes an automated pilot plant for the extraction of rare-earth (RE) permanent magnets from computer hard-disk drives (HDDs), demonstrating a commercially viable way to exploit these abundant sources of end-of-life (EOL) magnets. A mobile approach is provided for the on-site destruction of the HDDs in server farms, in compliance with the European Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enabling both separation of the magnets and automated shredding of the data carrier. This fully automated process identifies (both optically and magnetically) the location of the rare-earth magnets and cuts off the corner of the hard drive containing the rare-earth material in the voice coil motor. This allows for a significant reduction in magnet extraction time (6 s per HDD) compared to previously reported semi-automated (2 min) and manual (5 min) dismantling times. This work will also help to transfer the experience gained in the mobile pilot plant to other future sources of EOL materials such as drive motors and mixed electronic scrap.
Keywords: permanent magnets; rare-earth (RE); NdFeB; recycling; circular economy; critical materials; HPMS; hydrogen processing of magnetic scrap; hydrogen decrepitation; end-of-life (EOL) magnets; hard-disk drives (HDDs) permanent magnets; rare-earth (RE); NdFeB; recycling; circular economy; critical materials; HPMS; hydrogen processing of magnetic scrap; hydrogen decrepitation; end-of-life (EOL) magnets; hard-disk drives (HDDs)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Burkhardt, C.; Ortiz, F.; Daoud, K.; Björnfot, T.; Ahrentorp, F.; Blomgren, J.; Walton, A. Automated High-Speed Approaches for the Extraction of Permanent Magnets from Hard-Disk Drive Components for the Circular Economy. Magnetism 2024, 4, 295-304. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetism4030019

AMA Style

Burkhardt C, Ortiz F, Daoud K, Björnfot T, Ahrentorp F, Blomgren J, Walton A. Automated High-Speed Approaches for the Extraction of Permanent Magnets from Hard-Disk Drive Components for the Circular Economy. Magnetism. 2024; 4(3):295-304. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetism4030019

Chicago/Turabian Style

Burkhardt, Carlo, Francisco Ortiz, Kaies Daoud, Tomas Björnfot, Fredrik Ahrentorp, Jakob Blomgren, and Allan Walton. 2024. "Automated High-Speed Approaches for the Extraction of Permanent Magnets from Hard-Disk Drive Components for the Circular Economy" Magnetism 4, no. 3: 295-304. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetism4030019

APA Style

Burkhardt, C., Ortiz, F., Daoud, K., Björnfot, T., Ahrentorp, F., Blomgren, J., & Walton, A. (2024). Automated High-Speed Approaches for the Extraction of Permanent Magnets from Hard-Disk Drive Components for the Circular Economy. Magnetism, 4(3), 295-304. https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetism4030019

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