Presentation Information
[P2-20]Metallothermic Reduction of Neodymium chloride: A Strategic Route for High-Purity Neodymium Metal for NdFeB Magnets
*Purushotham Yadoji1, Purushotham N1, Rajesh Kumar S1 (1. Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Hyderabad (India))
Keywords:
NdFeB,Reduction,Nd Metal
Neodymium (Nd) is a critical metal with extensive applications in green technologies. This study focuses on producing high-purity neodymium metal through the metallothermic reduction process. The method begins with the conversion of neodymium oxide (Nd2O2) to neodymium chloride (NdCl3) using ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) as a chlorinating agent. The resulting NdCl3 is then reduced to metallic neodymium using calcium as the reductant. To prevent oxidation, the reduction process was carried out in a controlled argon (Ar) atmosphere using an inert crucible setup. Optimal chlorination conditions were established to obtain high-purity NdCl3. Then the metallothermic reduction process carried out extensively to determine the parameters for maximizing yield and purity. The obtained neodymium metal was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to analyze its phase purity, surface morphology, and elemental composition. Prior to refining, the technique effectively produced neodymium metal with an initial purity of 97%. These findings demonstrate the approach's potential for producing high-purity neodymium for advanced applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), magnet production, and other high-tech sectors.