Assessing the recycling potential of neodymium and praseodymium (Nd/Pr) from end-of-life products in China: Implications for the rare earth circular economy

With the global efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality, the overall demands for critical rare earth elements (REEs) are increasing, particularly for neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), due to their indispensable roles in green technologies, such as wind power and electric vehicles. China is the largest producer for both elements. However, due to the concerns of resource depletion and the associated environmental burdens, it is critical for China to consider recovering such elements from end-of-life (EoL) products. This study aims to explore the recycling potentials of both Nd and Pr from 17 major EoL products in China and evaluate the theoretical contributions of recovered Nd and Pr to the future demands over the period 2021–2060. Our results show that the recycling potentials of both Nd and Pr will increase during this study period. The recycled Nd can meet about 40% of the total demand, while the recycled Pr can meet about 37% of the total demand in 2060. The top five EoL products with the highest ratios of recycling potential to the demand include wind turbines, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), electric vehicles, electric bicycles, and air conditioners. These findings indicate that recycling Nd and Pr from EoL products could significantly contribute to mitigating the supply burden under certain scenarios and should be supported by appropriate strategies. Several policy recommendations are then proposed to facilitate such recycling efforts by considering the Chinese realities.