MAGnets in rEsiLient suppLy chAiNs

MAGELLAN will, for the first time in Europe, create a direct collaboration between material scientists, designers, manufacturers, recyclers and end-users, to engineer and demonstrate at TRL7, a disruptive, sustainable and cost-effective rare-earth-element (REE) permanent magnet (PM) value chain solution for high volume electric vehicle traction motors (EVTM), including:1) Engineering and demonstration at TRL7 of an integrated highly advanced recycling and manufacturing process for improved resource efficiency short-loop recycling based on magnet-to-alloy, neodymium substitution and functionally shaped PM manufacturing via Powder Injection Moulding.2) Development of a new EVTM rotor design benefitting from advanced shaped PM to improve assembly, enhance motor performances and facilitate dismantling of End-of-Life motors resulting in improved cost effectiveness and reduced material loss during recycling.3) Optimisation of magnet recovery and recycling to avoid downcycling by minimising dispersion and dilution of heavy REE; implementation of characterisation and decision protocols to orient recovered magnets to the most suitable recycling route; supporting standardised magnet labelling.MAGELLAN will demonstrate the TRL of highly recyclable PM prototypes in an EVTM within a representative operating environment.

Sustainability and business benefits will be demonstrated through life-cycle analysis.

The future industrialisation of the MAGELLAN solution is estimated to reach a production of up to 2000t/y, i.e. 10-12% of the expected European EVTM market in 2040 and 4% of the expected European PM market in 2040 including all end-user sectors, thus significantly contributing to improving responsible supply of raw materials to Europe.

It will potentially generate hundreds of new jobs in Europe, in PM manufacturing, recycling and REE industry, and contribute to a reduction of PM CO2 emissions of up to 50% when compared with standard magnet manufacturing processes.