Properties of Rare-Earth Element in Magnetic Material and Its Processing

Rare-earth metal is one of the critical elements because of its small amount with a lot of demand for this metal in a variety of the latest technologies, which are currently developed fast and intensively. The use of rare-earth metals can contribute to the development of innovations in the production of new materials in various fields, because these metals have strong, hard and heat-resistant properties. Rare-earth metals are found in complex compounds that makes it difficult to separate from ore. Obtaining of the rare-earth metals is realized by recycling the product from a secondary source of magnets containing rare-earth metals, such as NdFeB and SmCo magnets. Hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes can carry out the process of recovering of the rare-earth metals from secondary materials. There is a new research using bacteria as a rare-earth metal extractor to minimize environmental impact. Oxalic acid and other organic acids have potential in the recovery of rare-earth metals. As alternative, the rare-earth-free materials as candidates for permanent magnets are also mentioned.