HyProMag is one of the 17 projects selected by the MSP, which aims to build secure, responsible critical mineral supply chains to meet carbon-neutral goals.
HyProMag Ltd, which uses a technology developed by the University of Birmingham’s Magnetic Materials Group, has been selected as one of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) projects that will help to develop responsible critical mineral supply chains.
The project is one of 17 selected at the recent Principals’ meeting at the London Metals Exchange. Here, representatives from the MSP’s members centred on increasing sustainable finance.
HyProMag is focusing on HPMS technology
The company is commercialising rare earth magnet recycling using Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology. This technology was developed by researchers in the Magnetic Materials Group at the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials at the University of Birmingham.
The patented technology can recycle magnets from end-of-life scrap.
Professor Allan Walton, Director of the Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements and Critical Materials, said: “This is an extremely exciting development and shows how research from the University can have an impact on the global stage.
“Rare earth magnets play a crucial role in a huge variety of technologies, many of which are used in clean energy applications such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. However, the recycling rates for these materials are very low.
“This is primarily because rare earth magnets are difficult to separate from components as they are glued, coated and break up to a magnetised powder on shredding, which then sticks to the ferrous scrap.
“Our Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap technology offers an extremely efficient method to separate rare earth magnets, producing a demagnetised, purified alloy powder which can be fed into multiple parts of the value chain. Without such an efficient separation process, it is difficult to see how recycling can be achieved at scale.”
About the Minerals Security Partnership
The Mineral Security Partnership, formed in 2022 by 14 governments, aims to ensure adequate supplies of minerals such as rare earths.
The partnership wants to support both public and private sector investments in building a secure and responsible critical minerals supply chain.
The MSP is driving forward a range of projects that will help develop these supply chains, including:
- 11 projects in upstream mining and mineral extraction, four projects in midstream minerals processing, and two projects in recycling and recovering (including HyProMag);
- Five projects in the Americas, seven projects in Africa, three projects in Europe, and two projects in Asia-Pacific; and
- Seven projects focused on rare earths, one project focused on lithium, three on graphite, two on nickel, one on cobalt, two on copper, and one on manganese.
