RarEarth is a startup founded in 2023 with the mission to revolutionize the recycling of rare earth elements, developing a new generation of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets from recycled material. These magnets are vital for electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and consumer electronics, representing around 30% of the global rare earth element market. As Europe lacks active mines and currently recycles less than 1% of its rare earth elements, the EU faces significant challenges in securing sustainable sources.
RarEarth addresses this by developing cutting-edge technology to recycle rare earth magnets from end-of-life products such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, compressors, and consumer electronics. The company's innovation lies in a mechano-thermal process that efficiently extracts pure magnetic alloys from end of life application. This recovered material is then used to produce recycled bonded magnets via an innovative process involving a proprietary resin.
This resin, composed of organic-based reagents, significantly reduces production costs and complexity compared to traditional resins. Unlike traditional resins that require high temperatures for processing, RarEarth's resin operates at room temperature, cutting down on energy consumption. Additionally, this innovative resin can be selectively dissolved, enabling recycling of the magnet at the end of its life, a feature not available with traditional polyamide-based magnets.
With its sustainable and economically viable approach, RarEarth is poised to lead the European market in rare earth recycling, contributing to the ecological and digital transition while reducing dependency on foreign sources.