A team at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has developed a modified hydrometallurgical process that recovers rare earth elements from EV battery magnets and electronics alongside conventional cathode materials, increasing the total recoverable value per battery pack by 18%. The process targets neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium present in permanent magnet motors that are typically discarded during battery dismantling.
Expanding the Recovery Envelope
Current recycling operations focus exclusively on cathode materials, leaving an estimated $4,800 per tonne of rare earth value unrecovered from EV drivetrains. The KIT process integrates motor magnet dissolution into the existing hydrometallurgical flowsheet, using selective precipitation to separate rare earths from transition metals without additional process steps.
As rare earth supply chains face increasing geopolitical concentration—China controls 90% of global processing—recovering these materials from end-of-life vehicles represents both an economic and strategic opportunity for Western recyclers.
