Rare Earth Magnet Powder Recycling with Partial Disintegration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for recycling rare earth element-containing powders for sintered magnets are inefficient, requiring a long time for disintegration, leading to degradation of defective molded products and reduced productivity, while also failing to effectively reuse molded body scraps.
Innovation Solution
A method that disintegrates molded bodies to include both 149 mesh-pass and 500 mesh-on powders, allowing for the separation and collection of 149 mesh-pass powder, which reduces disintegration time and ensures sufficient magnetic properties in the recycled sintered magnets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the molded body is disintegrated over a long time to ensure no powder aggregates are present (500 mesh-pass), then the slurry quality is improved, but the productivity deteriorates and degradation of defective molded products occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by disintegrating the molded body only to the extent necessary to achieve 149 mesh-pass powder, rather than completely eliminating all aggregates to 500 mesh-pass. This partial disintegration approach reduces the disintegration time significantly while still producing slurry of sufficient quality for manufacturing sintered magnets with adequate magnetic properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mesh size parameter from the conventional 500 mesh-pass to 149 mesh-pass, representing a significant relaxation of the fineness requirement. This parameter change allows the disintegration process to be completed much faster while still producing acceptable slurry quality for sintered magnet production
2Manufacturing precision
If the molded body is disintegrated over a long time to ensure no powder aggregates are present, then the slurry quality is improved, but degradation of defective molded products occurs during storage
Solution Approach 1:
By applying partial disintegration to achieve only 149 mesh-pass powder instead of complete disintegration to 500 mesh-pass, the patent reduces the disintegration time required. This time reduction prevents prolonged storage of defective molded products, thereby avoiding degradation while still producing slurry of sufficient quality for manufacturing
3Productivity
If a 149 mesh-pass powder is targeted instead of 500 mesh-pass powder, then the disintegration time is reduced, but powder aggregates may remain in the slurry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately targets partial disintegration to 149 mesh-pass rather than complete disintegration to 500 mesh-pass. This partial action approach accepts the presence of some powder aggregates in the slurry while significantly reducing disintegration time, achieving a practical balance between productivity and slurry quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent accepts that some powder aggregates will remain in the slurry after rapid disintegration, treating this as an acceptable compromise. Rather than investing excessive time and resources to eliminate all aggregates, the approach uses a more efficient disintegration process that produces sufficiently good slurry quality for manufacturing viable sintered magnets
Data Source
AI summary
A method for recycling a rare earth element-containing powder, including:disintegrating a molded body for a rare earth sintered magnet including a rare earth element-containing powder in oil such that a 149 mesh-pass, 500 mesh-on powder is included; andseparating and collecting a 149 mesh-pass powder obtained after the disintegrating to obtain a recycles powder.