Oficina de Proyectos Internacionales

Rare Earth Materials: Will We Have Enough?

The REMANENCE project is financed by FP7; FP7 is the short name for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. This is the EU’s main instrument for funding research in Europe and it will run from 2007-2013. FP7 is also designed to respond to Europe’s employment needs, competitiveness and quality of life.

The possible future restrictions to the supply of critical materials have been the subject of debate for several years. In response to these an international consortium has been brought together to develop new solutions to the European requirement for rare earth metals.

C-Tech Innovation Ltd will lead a consortium including Leitat Technological Centre, The University of Birmingham, Stena Technoworld AB, ACREO Swedish ICT AB, OptiSort AB, Chalmers Industriteknik, Magneti Ljubljana and Kolektor Magnet Technology GMBH.

REMANENCE is an ambitious program designed to dramatically increase the amount of rare earth materials recovered and remanufactured from existing waste streams. The project brings together European industry and academia across the supply chain to develop the innovative technologies, business models and market information required to exploit this valuable resource reducing dependence on primary sources.

The partners will develop new and innovative processes for the recovery and recycling of neodymium iron boron magnets (NdFeB) from a range of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). Advanced sensing and mechanical separation techniques will be developed in combination with innovative processes to recover the rare earth magnets in the WEEE.

REMANENCE brings together Europe’s leading experts in; sensing, disassembly, recycling technology and materials processing in a multi-disciplinary project able to deliver significant technical advances.

Significantly, the aim will be to recover material in a form that can easily re-enter the primary magnet manufacturing production route, so providing large energy savings and reduced production costs for European manufacturers.