Elemental analysis and recycling possibilities of rare earth elements in consumer electronics
Prokai, Aron (2026)
Kandidaatintyö
2026
School of Energy Systems, Ympäristötekniikka
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026060361997
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026060361997
Tiivistelmä
Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential for consumer electronics due to their unique properties. Their demand is constantly increasing, which increases the need for a better understanding of their material flow and recovery potential. The thesis first investigates the elemental flow of REEs in consumer electronics through a quantitative literature review. Later, the recovery possibilities of REE from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are addressed.
According to the elemental analysis section, neodymium is the most abundant REE across nearly all device categories due to the wide application range of NdFeB permanent magnets. High relative deviation reflects heterogeneity in REE content between devices.
Pyrometallurgical, electrochemical, biometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical recovery methods are reviewed, with hydrometallurgical being found to be the best, achieving the highest recovery rates. However, these results are only laboratory-scale, and industrial implementations are yet to be developed.
According to the elemental analysis section, neodymium is the most abundant REE across nearly all device categories due to the wide application range of NdFeB permanent magnets. High relative deviation reflects heterogeneity in REE content between devices.
Pyrometallurgical, electrochemical, biometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical recovery methods are reviewed, with hydrometallurgical being found to be the best, achieving the highest recovery rates. However, these results are only laboratory-scale, and industrial implementations are yet to be developed.