10117785MagnosticClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKIonic Technologies (IOT), Materials Processing Institute (MPI) and Swansea University (SU) are seeking to establish optimised processes for comminution for end of life magnet recycling, by utilising innovative techniques specifically for magnets deployed in offshore wind turbines. Production of critical minerals of all kinds is expected to rise sharply, some as much as 500% by 2040\. Given the current dependency on imports of REEs into the UK, it will be vital for recycling of REEs to become mainstream and to integrate REE recycling into the UK REE supply chain. Ionic Technologies have demonstrated patented technology at the Demonstration Plant in Belfast, in order to produce high purity REEs at a rate of 10 tonnes per annum. At 99.5% purity or higher, the REEs produced are suitable for use in high specification magnets for EVs and other technology contributing towards the UK's NetZero ambitions. Ionic Technologies have developed demonstration scale comminution processes for a variety of magnets, and this project seeks to establish the optimum comminution processes for a commercial scale plant, receiving both magnetised magnets and arrays. Materials Processing Institute (MPI) is a Not-for-profit, research technology organisation (RTO), expert in pilot scale metal processing, with various facilities including various pilot plant equipment, ranging from a 7-tonne Electric Arc Furnace, to 100 litre hydrometallurgy vessel, to a novel rotary kiln (microwave assisted with controllable atmosphere); supported by the advanced materials characterisation centre and digital technologies group. During this project, MPI will be seeking to optimise demagnetisation techniques based around a selection (individual/combination) of temperature, microwaves and hydrogen routes. Swansea University (SU) have developed a series of rapid radiative heating techniques to process materials, along with development of instrumental and analytical techniques to characterise them. The team at SU will utilise their infra-red expertise to assess demagnetisation potential utilising this technology and how it could be scaled for offshore wind and other magnets. By bring together technical expertise from a business, RTO and academic institution with vast amounts of technical understanding in magnet processing, the collaboration is confident that the optimum solution for commercial demagnetisation can be realised. In summary, this project seeks to establish the preferred method for magnet comminution at commercial scale to compliment the established REE recycling technology that Ionic Technologies are commercialising.